Digital factory Small things make a big impact: Process optimization in existing workflows is one of the most effective levers for making production and manufacturing more resource efficient. Often, even small steps yield quick, noticeable, and sustainable results.
3 to 5% transparency regarding your data (statistical mean value) and you have already created added value for individual processes.
The four key segments
When it comes to data, the lowest common denominator is often energy and media consumption. This already provides lots of information about the systems. An analysis of the consumption of individual gaseous, electrical, or liquid media over time provides a great insight into the eff ectiveness of the system.
Your data is the key to this success. The more transparency and knowledge you gain regarding your active processes, the greater your leverage. Whether scheduling maintenance intervals in servicing, synchronising the supply chain with production, or implementing needs-based climate and light control with sensors: it often just takes a few data points to gain key insights for optimisation potential and to achieve more resource-effi cient processes.
Phoenix Contact has first-hand experience of this in their own production operations in Bad Pyrmont.
There are four specific segments that enable you to increase productivity, efficiency, and decarbonisation quickly and successfully:
- Data acquisition: efficient data processing and analysis
- Data transport: smart, secure, and structured management of networks
- Data security: maximum security for OT and IT
- Data use: standardized, time-saving, and horizontal as well as vertical integration of sensors, machines, and systems.
These four segments will later form the basis for tailored and turn-key applications. Whatever your industry, you will achieve tangible results quickly
and precisely.
Data acquisition
Data acquisition
The basis of every sustainable factory is the comprehensive collection of data. This can include existing sensor, machine, and process data, for example. This information is collected across different locations and worldwide. Thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT), all the relevant trades can be networked and can communicate with each other. The meaningful analysis of this data, including with the aid of artificial intelligence (AI), can provide new insights for increasing productivity. In addition, systems can be much better utilised, monitored, and developed further.
The integration of existing machines into these types of network poses something of a challenge. In many cases, individual interfaces must first be created before data can flow. Modern, open communication protocols connect the old world to the new. They ensure smooth data exchange from the production process right through to the DCS, MES, or ERP. Sensors, measuring modules, and control cabinet solutions provide the hardware for this. They are the basis for data acquisition in the sustainable factory and transfer back to the operational processes. After all, “Smart Production” is not a one-way street. Here data is not only transferred from OT to IT, but also transferred back from the IT world to the OT levels.
Data transport
Data transport
Data is generated in all levels of the sustainable factory – from the sensor through to the cloud. But the number of Ethernet devices continues to rise. Development results in increasingly complex networks. Managing them in a smart and structured way is one of the key tasks in the sustainable factory.
Efficient data transport is a basic requirement in order for production to run smoothly. Just like the factory grows and changes, the data traffic in the network and the complexity of the system also change. Therefore it is always necessary to integrate new intelligent devices into the network and drive forward the expansion of the infrastructure. The key ingredients for a future-proof infrastructure are open interfaces and having a flexible IT system design from the outset with the option of permanent network diagnostics. This will allow you to continue to meet the growing and changing requirements of the sustainable factory.
Data security in OT
Data security in OT
Connecting all the devices in a network to the Internet provides many advantages for production operations. This includes being able to easily access sensors, machines, and systems anywhere and anytime so that status checks can be performed on demand or service partners can be engaged to carry out maintenance work. However, this type of networking also has its risks, e.g., cyberattacks. In certain circumstances, existing systems may present a challenge here if updates or trojan and virus protection programs are not available or are not available in time. However, even these issues are usually manageable. First, you should perform a risk analysis: What level of security is required? How much can or should that cost? And is it even necessary for production and the associated systems and machines to be fully networked when they were never networked before? Or is it possible to concentrate on a few very specifi citems of data, which are retrieved using autonomous stand-alone solutions and are then later networked to form larger clusters if necessary?
Data use
Data use
One of the essential steps on the path to a sustainable factory is the targeted use and networking of data. It enables the flexible control of material flow in production and makes it possible to respond quickly to changes in volatile markets. The horizontal and vertical integration of systems into the sustainable factory is necessary in order to achieve shorter production lifecycles. The networking of ERP, MES, DCS, and production is key here. New information is generated from the stored production data, enabling increased efficiency through optimisation. Along with the data, there are also challenges associated with the integration of global safety, communication, and security concepts that need to be taken into consideration.