by Gary Mintchell | May 8, 2019 | Automation, Networking, Technology
Kalycito, a software company in India and the Fraunhofer Institute announce Phase #2 of the Open Source Automation Development Lab (OSADL) Kalycito – Fraunhofer project. This project is to develop the standard for OPC UA pub/sub over TSN.
My interest in OPC UA and TSN (Time Sensitive Network) goes back a couple of years. I started writing about it in 2017 and continued throughout 2018. But I’ve noticed that the conversation on this subject has tapered off. There’s been very little news for a while. I wrote a preliminary white paper that needs to be updated. You can download it by clicking the square box ad on the right of the Webpage.
There is a working group within the OPC Foundation. I am attempting to get an update from it. If anyone wants to update me on either that or any other TSN news, hit comment on this post or DM me on Twitter @garymintchell.
Meanwhile, I did receive this news a couple of months ago and it got buried in my inbox. Kalycito announced the launch of 2nd edition of the Letter of Intent of Phase #2 of the OSADL project on OPC UA PubSub over TSN. Recalling the major announcement by several automation technology providers at SPS IPC Drives 2018 – who altogether account for more than 95 percent of the market – that they are now in favour of a unified real-time communication system, “it was noteworthy that these companies did not opt for any of the more than 50 different field buses or real-time communication methods used so far. Instead they agreed to unite behind the standard of OPC UA PubSub via TSN.”
The key driver behind this shift is that this OSADL project provides an OPC UA PubSub implementation under an Open Source license that permits integration into commercial software.
With products to be released in the market in mind, Phase #2 intends to work on these deliverables:
- Configuration of TSN endpoints
- Improvement of the real-time capabilities of OPC UA
- Certification assistance and related code corrections of OPC UA and PubSub
The start of the new phase #2 project is scheduled on the first day of the Embedded World 2019. Following the successful phase #1 in which the first implementation of PubSub under an Open Source license was developed, there is great anticipation among industry members to join and continue the momentum in phase #2.
by Gary Mintchell | May 6, 2019 | Automation, Software, Technology
Don’t get all worked up over the hype of a dystopian future about Artificial Intelligence (AI). We’ve been using pieces of it for many years. I had a junior programmer in the late 80s who was going off to become an expert in AI as our company was shutting down.
Much of AI we’re using falls into the voice assistant category. We’re seeing this pop up in the industrial space. I don’t want an always listening (and recording?) device in my house. Not sure if we want one in manufacturing. But, there are uses. Users had best figure out security, though.
The other pieces of AI usually involve some sort of machine learning. The program brings new data in, upgrades its algorithms, and provides better outputs—whether predictive analytics or alerts or process improvements.
Rockwell Automation has had a project for several years code named Project Sherlock. I’ve written previously here. It combines voice assistant along with predictive analytics. Engineers first showed it off with a smart phone. Now the company has added it as a module to its PLC line in classic Rockwell Automation fashion.
The new FactoryTalk Analytics LogixAI module, formerly known as Project Sherlock, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect production anomalies and alert workers so they can investigate or intervene, as necessary.
Many existing analytics technologies require deep expertise in both data science and industrial processes. But this add-on module for ControlLogix controllers reduces that burden by doing the job of a data scientist. It fits directly into a control chassis and streams controller data over the backplane to build predictive models. It can continuously monitor a production operation, detecting anomalies against its derived understanding.
“The FactoryTalk Analytics LogixAI module makes predictive analytics more accessible to help more workers make better production decisions,” said Jonathan Wise, product manager, Rockwell Automation. “The module learns your ControlLogix application and tells operators and technicians when things are changing in unexpected ways. This can help them get ahead of product quality issues and protect process integrity.”
For example, the module can help operators spot performance deviations in equipment like mixers that could affect product quality or lead to downtime. It can also be used as a virtual sensor. Instead of workers taking a reading, like the humidity of a packaged food product, the module can analyze variables from line assets like sprayers, dryers and burners to predict a measurement, virtually.
Workers can then be notified of problems by configuring alarms on a human machine interface (HMI) or dashboard. Future features of the module will go further, helping workers focus their problem-solving or automate the optimization of a process.
The FactoryTalk Analytics LogixAI module is the newest addition to the FactoryTalk Analytics portfolio from Rockwell Automation. The portfolio includes FactoryTalk Analytics for Devices, which learns about an automation system’s structure to tell workers about problems with individual devices. The LogixAI module expands on this by learning about an automation system’s application and helping identify anomalies with its overall function.
Both products work individually, but each will benefit the other in future iterations. The FactoryTalk Analytics platform aggregates multiple sources of data, so workers can discover new insights. FactoryTalk Analytics for Devices and the LogixAI module will both be data sources for the platform going forward.
by Gary Mintchell | Apr 30, 2019 | Internet of Things, Technology, Wireless
Industrial Internet of Things begins with “things”, of course. But it really needs to end with a decision by either a human or a control. In between the thing and the human is software that takes data input from the thing, analyses the data, and provides information in a digestible form.
Swift Sensors not only manufactures wireless sensor systems, it provides a Manufacturing Analytics Dashboard. Newly released are eleven new predictive maintenance tools for the Dashboard.
These new tools add trend analytics to key manufacturing metrics of compliance, utilization, maximum, minimum and average measured values monitored by the wireless sensor system. Eleven new dashboard panels have been added for measuring analytic trends across multiple shifts.
”We have deployed more than 100 Swift Sensors in our manufacturing facility to improve operational efficiency,” said Jackson Minear, Continuous Improvement Engineer at Meggitt Airframe Systems. “We use just about every feature in the Analytics Dashboards to track utilization of our equipment as well as critical trends across multiple shifts over time. Conservatively, we’ve improved our machine utilization by 20% while saving six figures in capital equipment expenditures.”
“Our manufacturing customers, particularly those using our wireless temperature and vibration sensors, frequently ask for advanced analytics tools to improve operational efficiency through higher overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and lower maintenance costs,” said Sam Cece, founder and CEO of Swift Sensors. “With the access to data from our wireless sensor system, Predictive Maintenance (PdM) programs can be easily created using our Manufacturing Analytics tools, which is included in the new Trend Analytics Dashboards.”
With the new dashboard panels, a trend line is calculated using the best fit line algorithm for the measurement data across each shift. The slope of the trend line represents the trend per shift, which indicates the overall tendency of the analytics value to increase or decrease by a specific amount from one shift to the next.
The trend analytics include a confidence percentage to indicate how well the trend line correlates with the historical data. A high confidence level indicates the trend is more likely to continue. Conversely, a low confidence level indicates the trend is not a reliable predictor of future values because the historical data is too chaotic.
by Gary Mintchell | Apr 26, 2019 | Automation, Podcast, Workforce
There are some things that drive me up the metaphorical wall. Especially concerning discussions of automation and jobs. I’ve contemplated this issue for years. Lately there was an issue of the Axios Future newsletter. I rather like the editor, Steve Levine, even if he is an economist turned journalist. But there are times when he stops at a macro level with no understanding of underlying facts. That’s a common problem with both economists and journalists.
The things:
- Confusing robots and automation
- Not understanding the jobs that were replaced
- Advances in manufacturing that greatly enhance the quality of jobs
- Confuse correlation with causation
Unlike people who grab high-level statistics, run the numbers through a variety of mathematical equations, and then show some sort of correlation, I started at the factory floor. First working on the line. Then figuring out ways to build better machines and put robots in places to take on physically debilitating or drudgery work. I tend to be inductive rather than deductive in my approach.
by Gary Mintchell | Apr 24, 2019 | Automation, Technology
I know machinery along with controls and automation. Packaging as a specialty wasn’t my thing until I spent some time alongside a packaging magazine. Tetra Pak was a name often heard. It has made news this month with ideas from Industry 4.0.
They first announcement concerns energy. Tetra Pak announced it is developing an energy assessment program in collaboration with ABB to help food and beverage producers lower their environmental impact and cut costs.
The program provides an assessment of the entire plant, helping customers minimize their environmental impact and maximize profitability. Based on this analysis, Tetra Pak provides recommendations for food producers on opportunities to reduce energy consumption and help them make informed decisions about how resources are used in their plants.
Based on pilot projects in the Americas, the program can potentially reduce carbon emissions for food and beverage manufacturing and cut energy cost by between 15% and 25%.
The strategic collaboration will combine the strengths of ABB Ability digital solutions and Tetra Pak’s unique expertise in food manufacturing, and build on both companies’ global installed base, deep domain and digital transformation expertise.
Johan Nilsson, Vice President at Tetra Pak, said: “There is a sense of urgency for all industries to reduce their environmental impact across their operations, and we are developing programmes together with our partners to reduce this impact for our customers and the overall industry. The plant assessment programme is an excellent example of an area where we have found and created opportunities for environmental savings.”
“With this strategic collaboration, Tetra Pak and ABB will create and drive a leading manufacturing ecosystem to provide Tetra Pak’s customers with the most advanced digital solutions and services,” said Visar Krasniqi, Group Vice President, Digital Transformation at ABB. “Additionally, this will enable Tetra Pak’s customers to run ABB’s digital solutions and their operations with improved overall efficiency, flexibility and sustainability.”
The second announcement announces a connected packaging platform. In this system, cartons will become full-scale data carriers and digital tools, which, the company claims, will transform milk and juice cartons into interactive information channels, full-scale data carriers, and digital tools.
Driven by the trends behind Industry 4.0, and with code generation, digital printing, and data management at its core, the connected packaging platform will bring new benefits to food producers, retailers and shoppers.
For producers, the new packaging platform will offer end-to-end traceability to improve the production of the product, quality control, and supply chain transparency. It will have the ability to track and trace the history or location of any product, making it possible to monitor for market performance and any potential issues.
For retailers, it will offer greater supply chain visibility and real-time insights, enabling distributors to track stock movements, be alerted when issues occur, and monitor for delivery performance.
For shoppers, it will mean the ability to access vast amounts of information such as where the product was made, the farm that the ingredients came from and where the package can be recycled.
Ivan Nesterenko, Vice President, Cross Portfolio at Tetra Pak said: “We are unlocking new opportunities for our customers to get more value from packaging than even before. No longer is it only about product protection and functionality, it is about connectivity. The future of packaging is undoubtedly digital: this launch is a step towards a truly intelligent package, and we are excited to collaborate with our customers on this journey.”
Tetra Pak has successfully completed pilots with its customers to test the new connected package and its performance in retail in Spain, Russia China, the Dominican Republic and India, working with beverage, juice and milk producers. In Spain a customer increased their sales by 16% through the scan and win campaign.
by Gary Mintchell | Apr 18, 2019 | Podcast, Technology
I’ve released another podcast discussing the emergence of a couple of startups leveraging the latest technologies to solve some interesting problems.
