Manufacturers and enterprises are increasingly looking for ways to gain value from data by generating actionable insights that can help improve process or machine performance. While sensor data has been captured by control systems using traditional automation technologies for many years, today IIoT and industrial edge control technology allow users and OEMs to collect more data using a variety of intelligent sensors that were traditionally not connected to the control system. In a recent article for Digital Automation Germany, Vibhoosh Gupta discusses how innovative new industrial edge controllers make it easier for organizations to collect data as well as use that data to generate actionable insights so operators can make informed decisions right at the machine or process level to optimize performance.
The original Digital Automation Germany article in German is here and following is an English version of the interview:
Within machine automation what trends are you seeing relating to IIoT? The IIoT allows us to collect more data that supports actionable insights into process or machinery performance. Sensor data has of course been collected by the control system using the traditional automation architecture for many years. The IIoT allows us to collect more data from a broad range of smart sensors that traditionally would not be connected to the control system. By implementing IIoT applications as part of the industrial edge platform/controllers, this enables analysis of both the deterministic control data and the additional data from the new smart sensors, providing a holistic view that helps to improve the process.
How is edge technology helping your customers?Industrial edge controllers provide software-defined controls with enhanced optimisation capabilities, while maintaining the stringent reliability, safety and security required in industrial applications. The integration of control functions and edge processing makes edge controllers the obvious choice for greenfield projects. Within machine automation, the primary types of industrial edge technologies are edge gateways, edge devices, and the new edge controllers that integrate PLC/PAC and edge processing into a single system. Edge controllers offer a generational advancement to PLC- and PAC-based industrial control systems by enabling safe, secure communication between real-time deterministic control, and non-deterministic applications that leverage external data to analyse and optimise business operations.
What developments is Emerson driving in the field of edge computing?Emerson has developed an edge controller that integrates PLC/PAC and edge processing into a single system. This unique device therefore provides both traditional PLC/PAC functions (determinism, real-time control) and the collection of data from new smart sensors from the same system. The ability to analyse the entire data in one device leads to improvements to the process. These edge controllers use hypervisor technology to run real-time deterministic control applications concurrently with an Ubuntu 16.04 Server Linux operating system that enables a huge range of applications and connections to other systems through the manufacturing operation.
What data analysis solutions are available?Emerson has developed an edge platform onto which specific visualisation and analysis tools can be developed (customised solution) to help solve customer problems. Currently, we find that every customer has different data analysis and visualisation requirements. We are therefore helping them to create customised solutions that support their specific goals. Much of the interest in our new edge controllers springs from the fact that they enable modern programming languages such as C/C++, Python and Java as well as emerging IIoT solutions like Node-RED to be used to apply complex optimisation algorithms, analytics and visualisation to operations close to the source of data, without impacting the standard control process. This allows programmers to create their own bespoke applications very easily.
How are your customers implementing digitisation at their production sites?To achieve their desired performance goals, manufacturers are increasingly looking to undergo a digital transformation and implement new technologies and cultural changes within their organisation. If we take an application such as tire manufacturing, the end user wants to be able to monitor every single part of the production process. Efficient data processing starts at the machine level and edge controllers with IIoT capabilities enable real-time data from the various parts of the process to be analysed and presented to the operator right at the machine. This provides greater visualisation at factory floor level. This is achieved using an edge computing device, which collects and analyses the data and can present the analytics to operators on an industrial display, enabling them to make informed decisions right at the machine.
Which IIoT applications are currently proving to be particularly practical for your customers?Creating an edge platform that enables the very simple addition and removal of non-critical elements provides flexibility and makes it easier to not only collect new data, but also to develop applications that can turn that data into actionable insights that create performance improvements. To achieve those outcomes, it is important to understand the customer problem statement and then work with them to create the solution to that problem. IIoT requires consultancy, supporting the customer and understanding their issues. Within machine automation customers are focused on overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) – availability, productivity (performance) and quality.
IIoT technologies provide the opportunity to monitor points previously overlooked or not possible. To improve the OEE of their machines, the customer will focus on reducing unplanned downtime, and improving yield and machine performance. But every application challenge is unique. A good example of this could be found at a packaging company that was experiencing downtime of its packaging machine 33% of the time. The OEM said the machine was being used incorrectly and this was creating a dispute. The customer turned to Emerson and on understanding the problem we implemented an edge controller, new sensors, a local operator interface and an online interface for the OEM. This ensured both parties had the same access to the real-time data. As a result, the two parties were able to collaborate better to diagnose issues and achieve the goal of increasing availability quickly.
How do users implement IIoT as easily as possible? Machine builders and end users have for some time been very keen to embrace the opportunities presented by IIoT, but before implementing a new solution they must identify and define a specific problem to be resolved. Every machine and process is different, as are the issues and improvement requirements. The latest edge controllers provide a platform on which to implement applications that can address these problems, which could be increasing availability, productivity or quality.
Critically, we created a range of edge devices with innovation on the edge software stack that facilitates much quicker and easier development of visualisation and analysis applications by our customers and solutions providers. To achieve this, the same scalable edge software stack was used within every device, regardless of device performance. This ensures that when a customer or solutions provider writes an application, it can then be deployed on all the Emerson edge devices, enabling a simple choice of how much processing power is required.
What profitability can customers expect than from your IIoT solutions?When investing in new technology, it is always important to consider the return on investment (ROI). The ROI period of IIoT will vary for every application. For machine builders, the IIoT offers the opportunity to increase sales revenue through new support services. By delivering increased machinery availability or lower lifecycle costs, an OEM can differentiate their solution from the competition. For the end user, increased OEE produces an extremely fast return on investment. As a result, it has been very easy to make a business case for IIoT solutions that reduce machinery downtime and increase availability. This is where we have seen the most traction with customers. However, it is always important to work closely with customers to understand their challenge and design solutions that make the improvements they are looking for, be that in terms of availability, quality or productivity.