by Gary Mintchell | Aug 18, 2020 | Operations Management, Operator Interface, Software
The popular press dithers over Artificial Intelligence and the “young ladies” Siri and Alexa spy on your every word. However, there are real, practical applications of AI that can help us operate and maintain our manufacturing and industrial operations. Here is one from AVEVA, a company that seems to have dominated my news this summer.
It has launched AVEVA Insight OMI app infusing real-time artificial intelligence into an operator’s decision-making. This app presents real-time anomaly detection in a context-aware OMI visualization display.
The AVEVA Insight OMI app introduces AI capabilities into the AVEVA System Platform, formerly Wonderware, and leverages predictive early warning and automatic detection of unusual operational behavior. This provides users with early notification so they can quickly resolve issues before they become critical business problems such as unplanned downtime and production losses.
A simple management interface enables operations, maintenance and production teams to quickly train the AI engine to adapt to the enterprise’s specific implementation. An intuitive thumbs-up or thumbs-down confirmation ensures AI-driven notifications are relevant to the needs of the user and support overall enterprise objectives, with no programming or data science knowledge required. This closed-loop feedback improves the accuracy of the AI prediction engine over time and enables users to see what matters. As anomalous patterns are identified, they can be captured and presented by the app within an organization’s on-premise HMI/SCADA solution, delivering insights directly where operators need it.
“IIoT applications have driven a massive increase in the collection of real-time operations and manufacturing data. As a result, operators face alarm overload and often cannot effectively react to or distinguish between process-critical situations and false positive alarm conditions, resulting in the loss of operational time and resources. By harnessing the power of AI and advanced cloud analytics, AVEVA is enabling operators to take proactive action, before process and maintenance problems occur,” commented Rashesh Mody, Vice President, Monitoring and Control, AVEVA.
“In today’s climate of increased demand for innovative technology solutions, the launch of our new AVEVA Insight OMI app is a significant development because it serves as a single interface into operations by bridging the information technology and operational technology divide for increased agility and situational awareness. We are very excited to introduce a solution that will help our customers manage critical operations and improve decision support for maximum profitability in these fast-changing times,” Mody concludes.
by Gary Mintchell | Aug 17, 2020 | Internet of Things, Manufacturing IT, News
In a normal summer, I am wondering where my next topic for something to write about will come from. This, of course, is anything but a normal summer. On the other hand, despite travel restrictions and office restrictions and the like I have been flooded with information. Meaning, I’m catching up on news from June. My bad…
I first heard of the real-time agile developer platform from VANTIQ three years ago when I was at Hannover exploring the beginnings of the EdgeX Foundry from Linux Foundation. Then in June I was pitched a news release from it where it had partnered with RoviSys to create Covid safety apps for such facilities as manufacturing, healthcare, and more. As the PR account executive told me, “Real-time tech enables these facilities to detect and respond to, say, an infected worker or an accident – in seconds, not minutes or hours.” The partnership applications detect and contain Covid-19.
Beyond this application (detailed below), I talked with CEO and founder Marty Sprinzen about the company and the technology. I didn’t get a deep dive, but they essentially blend IoT and AI (how about that for buzz words in one sentence) to achieve an abstraction above the IoT such that others can develop cool apps. Such as this work with RoviSys. A company to watch, for sure.
RoviSys is an independent, global provider of comprehensive process automation, systems integration, and building automation solutions. Together, the companies will build applications—based on VANTIQ’s real-time, event-driven architecture—to track people’s movements and body temperatures to monitor environmental health. By pinpointing potentially infected individuals in real time, response teams can rapidly isolate people and execute critical mitigation protocols, from disinfecting contaminated areas to facilitating hospitalization for infected persons.
RoviSys brings domain expertise and reach in the chemical, petrochemical, power and energy, data center, building management, water and wastewater, paper and wood, utilities, and oil and gas industries. “Our customers need tools that help get operations back up and running as soon as possible,” said Bryan DeBois, Director, Industrial AI at RoviSys. “But ensuring employee safety is crucial. Reliable solutions are going to require real-time monitoring systems that can safeguard everyone in the workplace. The relationship between RoviSys and VANTIQ to rapidly build these mission-critical applications and systems for the industrial space is important today and in the foreseeable future.”
VANTIQ recently launched its Back-to-Work Accelerator product, which enables software developers to rapidly build real-time applications for safeguarding workplaces against the spread of COVID-19.
“Getting people back to work during COVID-19 means that we have to track people in time and space, leveraging IoT sensors, thermal imaging and other applicable technologies,” said Sprinzen. “We’re excited to work with RoviSys to build customized applications for specific industrial needs, using the VANTIQ platform to enable lightning-fast development for real-time, real-world environments.”
VANTIQ enables customers to build next-generation applications that combine real-world data and real-time events. Their agile development environment allows complex applications to be created in weeks with minimal coding, taking full advantage of artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and edge computing. VANTIQ powers a broad array of applications for smart cities, smart buildings, oil and gas, telecom, healthcare and other industries. VANTIQ was founded in 2015 by technology veterans Marty Sprinzen and Paul Butterworth, co-founders of Forte Software.
Founded in 1989, RoviSys is a leading independent provider of information management solutions, manufacturing automation solutions, control systems integration, building automation, and enterprise and industrial networks. The company is distinctly qualified to deliver solutions that drive productivity, improve product quality, increase asset utilization and integrate technology for the chemical, petrochemical, life science, consumer packaged goods, glass, metals, power and energy, data center, building management, water and wastewater, paper and wood, and oil and gas industries.
by Gary Mintchell | Aug 14, 2020 | Data Management, Manufacturing IT, Software
Helps enable seamless test operations and data management across an entire organization
It begins with data and it’s all about data. “It” being improving production and profitability and safety. It doesn’t end with data, though. A system is required. Part of the system is software that gathers, analyzes, visualizes data.
NI began with data—test and measurement. It just kept growing. This week it announced the enterprise version of SystemLink software. By standardizing the way data is shared and analyzed, the new enterprise version enables increased visibility and control of test systems across an entire organization. In this way, SystemLink software serves as an important bridge between engineering and manufacturing departments in their efforts to improve overall operational efficiencies and drive digital transformation initiatives.
NI, in its release information, acknowledges data can be an organization’s greatest asset when used to make more informed decisions. It can also be a drain on time and resources when it creates incompatible silos. SystemLink software connects test workflows to business performance, linking people, processes and technology across the enterprise, from engineering to production to the field.
Engineers save time through focus on quickly spotting patterns and proactively addressing issues before they become a problem. “Freeing up engineers to focus on the work that has the largest impact for their organization is smart business,” said Josh Mueller, VP of Experience at NI. “But it is also one of the core components of our company mission — elevating and empowering the engineer.”
Cree Lighting, a leading manufacturer of indoor, outdoor and consumer lighting, has implemented real-time data monitoring and display, post-test analysis and factory management tools using SystemLink software. “SystemLink enables our production floor to step into the future. It equips us with the visibility to respond to market conditions more quickly while optimizing our team’s production efforts all around the world,” said Ian Yeager, test engineering manager at Cree Lighting. “Now, I spend less time managing deployments and post-processing data and more time using the built-in tools to take care of low-hanging opportunities and improve efficiency for my team.”
The new version of SystemLink software is NI’s first hardware-agnostic systems and data management tool. The announcement of enterprise support underscores NI’s enterprise software strategy to help customers accelerate digital transformation efforts by coupling test operations with advanced product analytics enabled through its recent acquisition of OptimalPlus. By unlocking the value of test data and allowing more groups across an enterprise to work together, NI is helping connect the bold people, ideas and technologies required to push our world forward.
by Gary Mintchell | Aug 13, 2020 | Data Management, Enterprise IT, Internet of Things, Operations Management
In the beginning were data. Increasing amounts of data. But what good is a storehouse filled with data? Especially when you have to build additional storehouses to hold more data?
We all know that this is just a hole to throw good money into unless we can reap benefits from the data.
John Burton, CEO of Ursa Leo, recently gave some time to me to explain what this new company is up to. And it’s pretty cool. It begins with data formed into a digital twin of the factory, oil rig, equipment, and the like. But they asked how can company managers and operators reap benefits from their data? The company began by focusing on visual representations of the data. It hired engineers from the gaming industry to show photo realistic reproductions of the plant, equipment, building, and so on. Think things like Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality brought to life by the latest in gaming technology.
They develop on the Unity gaming engine that is designed to run on just about anything (derivative of gaming industry). So, for example, you can get a bird’s eye view of the factory. Show sensors perhaps as green dots. Zoom in to see sensors; zoom in again for ever greater levels of detail including sensor data. It is a simple screen showing IoT data from sensors and asset data bases. It’s spatially related. The model resides in the cloud, so the same view and information is available to everyone making it great for remote maintenance support, for example, also training and remote control.
Visualization includes x-ray vision, rewind/replay events, “make pieces of equipment fly apart, visualize fluid flow, heat maps (like temperature of gas for example).
Recently, the company announced that it has closed its Seed Round B and raised $725K. The round was led by Keiretsu Forum and Bay Angels with additional private investors. As UrsaLeo continues to grow, the money will be used to expand operations into manufacturing and building management, further product development with collaboration and remote control modes, and enhance the company’s new social distancing technology.
With the closing of the Seed B, the company also announced the hiring of Michael Uribe and Alina Verdiyan as Senior Vice Presidents. Michael will lead the Building Information Management Division and work with developers and building operators to bring cutting edge 3D technology to public spaces. Alina will lead the Manufacturing Division and have worldwide responsibility for dedicated sales, marketing, and operations.
“The UrsaLeo team and traction they’ve achieved with early customers signals an opportunity for rapid growth in valuation,” said Chandika Mendis of Bay Angels. “With the adoption of social distancing technology and digital twinning, one of the hottest sectors at the moment, enterprise software that helps to simplify problem solving in challenging times is an attractive investment. We look forward to tracking their success.”
by Gary Mintchell | Aug 11, 2020 | Manufacturing IT, Operations Management, Software
The idea that manufacturing and production enterprises make use of only a small fraction of the data it has accumulated apparently become common knowledge. ABB cites this as the driver for a new software platform called ABB Ability Genix Industrial Analytics and AI Suite.
ABB says it “operates as a digital data convergence point where streams of information from diverse sources across the plant and enterprise are put into context through a unified analytics model. Application of artificial intelligence on this data produces meaningful insights for prediction and optimization that improve business performance.”
“We believe that the place to start a data analytics journey in the process, energy and hybrid industries is by building on the existing digital technology – the automation that controls the production processes,” said Peter Terwiesch, President of ABB Industrial Automation. “We see a huge opportunity for our customers to use their data from operations better, by combining it with engineering and information technology data for multi-dimensional decision making. This new approach will help our customers make literally billions of better decisions.”
ABB Ability Genix is composed of a data analytics platform and applications, supplemented by ABB services, that help customers decide which assets, processes and risk profiles can be improved, and assists customers in designing and applying those analytics. Featuring a library of applications, customers can subscribe to a variety of analytics on demand, as business needs dictate, speeding up the traditional process of requesting and scheduling support from suppliers.
Get used to seeing these IT architecture phrases—supports a variety of deployments including cloud, hybrid and on-premise. Microsoft has also done a good job working with manufacturing as ABB also leverages Microsoft Azure for integrated cloud connectivity and services.
“The ABB Ability Genix Suite brings unique value by unlocking the combined power of diverse data, domain knowledge, technology and AI,” said Rajesh Ramachandran, Chief Digital Officer for ABB Industrial Automation. “ABB Ability Genix helps asset-intensive producers with complex processes to make timely and accurate decisions through deep analytics and optimization across the plant and enterprise.
“We have designed this modular and flexible suite so that customers at different stages in their digitalization journey can adopt ABB Ability Genix to accelerate business outcomes while protecting existing investments.”
A key component of ABB Ability Genix is the ABB Ability Edgenius Operations Data Manager that connects, collects, and analyzes operational technology data at the point of production. ABB Ability Edgenius uses data generated by operational technology such as DCS and devices to produce analytics that improve production processes and asset utilization. ABB Ability Edgenius can be deployed on its own or integrated with ABB Ability Genix so that operational data is combined with other data for strategic business analytics.
“There is great value in data generated by automation that controls real-time production,” said Bernhard Eschermann, Chief Technology Officer for ABB Industrial Automation. “With ABB Ability Edgenius, we can pull data from these real-time control systems and make it available to predict issues and prescribe actions that help us use assets better and fine-tune production processes.”
