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I suffer from acrophobia ... a fear of heights. I’m amazed how so many people can comfortably stand on the edge of a cliff and look in every direction without even flinching. The opposite is true in my professional life. Every day I live on the edge without a single flinch. Let me explain.

Industrial companies face an ever-changing landscape of operational challenges. A process plant or manufacturing facility deals with a complex set of variables that can affect machine or production performance. As one problem or bottleneck is solved, another one seems to appear. For many years, plant operations teams have been using DCS, PLC, SCADA and MES technology as the tools to improve automation, alarms, analysis and reporting. Gaps still remain, however, as automation approaches the machine level, leaving islands of information still inaccessible for business decision making.

The recent emergence of Industry 4.0 and advancements in electronic components have helped those traditional tool sets become a lot smarter by adding cloud connectivity, cyber security and distributed processing power, amongst other things. This new convergence of technology has opened a large door of opportunity when it comes to problem solving functionality, operational insight and implementation of new techniques. But how?

The magic happens in an emerging industrial automation space called “the edge.”

Powerful computers have now merged with the CPU of a traditional industrial automation control system to provide a 2-in-1 device that is physically the size of your favorite novel from the bookstore. This means that the same device that controls your machine or process has an onboard, cloud-capable computer to provide new on-machine functionality.

While control systems have historically been connected to computers, these were generally separate workstations or servers that were most likely located in an office far away from the machine. This perpetuated the concept of an office IT network that is separate from the OT (operations technology) plant floor network.

The new combined device of “computing and control all-in-one” offer new possibilities for storage, analysis, processing power and cloud connectivity right at the machine, or “edge.”

I’d like to explain four ways that computing and control all in one has opened a new door of opportunity for industrial companies:

1. CLOUD CONNECTIVITY – Implementation of a cloud strategy is no longer complex
   Using an “edge enabled” control system means that connecting the automation system on your machine to a cloud can be done in a few minutes, following out-of-the-box easy to follow steps. This new generation of control products has completely taken away any mystery that existed in getting this done. It’s quick and easy now so you don’t have to think about “how to connect?” You can spend your time thinking about “what to connect?” This ability to connect a machine status to the outside world enables new business models through connectivity to remote fleet, corporate, expert or market data.
2. THINK FASTER – Implementing new machine learning algorithms, or optimization calculations, is simplified
   Now that there is a computer running at the edge, you can introduce a competitive advantage for your company by controlling your machine or process in a smarter way. Traditional PLC/DCS controllers have some limitations in programming languages. A computer provides more powerful computing and processing functionality. Advanced algorithms can be processed on the computer side of the edge controller box and passed back to the real-time control system to give you an extra smart control loop. This enables a new form of advanced processing power in a tiny form factor.
3. STORE & ANALYZE – Local data storage is simplified
   The computer side of the “edge enabled” controller box allows you to run a local data historian for storage of the real-time data that is generated on the PLC side of the box. This gives you the flexibility of local machine data that could be analyzed right at the source or connected to a plant-wide historian server for centralized storage if that is preferred. Of course, local storage will help with better execution of the machine learning and optimization algorithms spoken about earlier.
4. MAN/MACHINE INTERFACE – Fewer computers in the plant
   Now that there is a computer inside the “edge enabled” controller box, you don’t have to buy an external computer to see what’s going on in your machine. Simply connect the peripherals you want to the ports available on the controller box. Connecting a local display is as easy as plugging in a cable. This simplifies the computer requirements across the plant and gives users hardened industrial devices that provide maximum reliability.

In one single edge controller device you can control a machine, connect to a cloud, store data, run complex algorithms, get real-time visibility and provide a platform for real-time decision-making for your business.

Most importantly, the full edge experience is ready for you today. By switching to the new all-in-one “edge enabled” controller technology now, you can switch on functionality as, and when, you choose.

Does your company have a vision for data analytics with a clearly defined roadmap to success? If not, then the team at Emerson’s Machine Automation Solutions business would be happy to help you.

Feel free to contact me or look out for similar articles I’ll be publishing soon to discuss in more depth various elements discussed in this article.

Learn more about edge technology.