Electricity + Control April 2016

CONTROL SYSTEMS + AUTOMATION

Steam to digital , the industrial

reconfiguration. Under Industry 4.0, a single line will accommodate any type of product without the need for a changeover fromone batch to another, for example through parts or products modifying robot profiles as they move along the line. If all of this sounds highly

revolution continues

futuristic and well beyond the realms of what is achievable today, then it shouldn’t, because actually it is simply an extension of the commu- nications discussion that has dominated control systems design for the last two decades or more. And in particular, while it might seem to imply the need for a green-field manufacturing site with a ground-up design that implements the ideals of Industry 4.0 from the outset, it actually impacts on machine builders in a much more practical way. The two key aspects to consider are the handling of data around the machine – and inparticular the transformations on that data to turn it into useful information – and the flow of information between the machine, thewider production environment and the higher level enterprise. There is greater intelligence, now, in all automation components, and a greater emphasis onnetworkingmeans that information is accessible anywhere. The latest control platforms, such as the company’s Sysmac controllers, can create, integrate and act on that information at high speed, making best use of the data made visible by the machine and the information transferred to and from higher-level systems. Because this all happens at the hardware level in the company’s Sysmac controllers, rather than in software ormiddlewarewhere the functions Conclusion The fact that the intelligence, speed, power and communications capabilities to enable Industry 4.0 concepts to be implemented today is a powerful reason in its own right to push forward with the latest automation offerings. But these same characteristics are also important aspects of the drive towards improved OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) scores, improved preventativemaintenance capabilities and reduced total cost of ownership. So don’t think of Industry 4.0 simply as a concept with only theoretical appeal. Dig a little deeper and there is much practical substance, with control paradigms that can be implemented today to deliver real benefits in all areas of production. have traditionally resided, the control system is able to deliver the real-time interaction required for truly dynamic production lines.

An Omron perspective

T here’s a new buzzword on the block, with any conversation on the future of manufacturing or production inevitably turn- ing to the topic of Industry 4.0. Introduced as a concept at the Hannover Messe in 2011 to describe and connect trends across dif- ferent industries, the term has evolved to herald a new paradigm in manufacturing. Why ‘4.0’ you might ask? The concept indicates that this is the fourth industrial revolution, and a change in approach to manufacturing as radical as the transition of the late 1700s from hand production methods to machines and industrial processes. If we look at the intervening years, we could define a second industrial revolution, extending from the latter half of the 19 th Century until the early 1900s, and culminating in early factory electrification, mass production and the production line. The third indus- trial revolution is generally thought of as the transition from analogue to digital technology, and specifically in industrial terms to the move to digital computing and digital communications through the last years of the 20 th Century. This brings us to Industry 4.0, defined loosely as the comput- erisation of manufacturing. Related to other buzz phrases such as the ‘lights out’ factory or the ‘connected factory’ or even the ‘cyber factory’, it refers more specifically to a shift towards self-organising manufacturing operations, with a greater distribution of intelligence towards individual machines and components. Under Industry 4.0, production lines will reconfigure themselves automatically in order to optimise productivity. Some of that will be driven from above, with production lines responding dynamically to new or amended produc- tion orders, tying in seamlessly with logistics and the wider business. Some will be driven from the product itself, communicating with the line to determine the optimal route through the production process. For example, if there is a bottleneck at some point in the produc- tion line, the product will recognise this and look to see if there are other processes that might be accomplished first, and instruct the line to reroute its progress. Industry 4.0 also brings a higher degree of flexibility to the manufacturing process. This again is the logical next step to a process that has already taken us from mechanical line changeovers from one product type to another to push-button line As interest builds in the concept of Industry 4.0, Omron looks at the practicalities behind its implementation, and what this means for machine builders.

• Industry 4.0 is loosely defined as the ‘computerisation of manufacturing’. • It refers more specifically to a shift towards self-organising manufacturing operations with a greater distribution of intelligence towards individual machines and components. • Under Industry 4.0, production lines reconfigure themselves automatically to optimise productivity.

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Enquiries: Laetitia de Jager. Tel. 011 579 2600 or email Laetitia.de.jager@eu.omron.com

April ‘16 Electricity+Control

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