by Gary Mintchell | Jan 25, 2016 | Automation, Commentary, News, Technology
Make no mistake about it, Siemens in “all in” on industry 4.0, otherwise known as digital manufacturing. As the company experiences some restructuring, the PLM business continues to add companies and technologies to its digital manufacturing business.
A news item from Reuters, also reported in many outlets this morning, says that Siemens is set to acquire privately held CD-adapco. This computer-aided-engineering (CAE) developer focuses on simulating engines and other mechanical systems. It looks like a good fit.
Reuters says the deal would be for about $1 billion. The founder/CEO of CD-adapco passed away in September. Is widow has been running the company since then.
The race between Siemens and GE just keeps getting more interesting. Meanwhile, Rockwell Automation focuses on the factory and process automation space, preferring to steer clear of the engineering and PLM software space. Schneider Electric’s moves have been interesting, although its attempt to acquire Aveva collapsed. ABB has been busy divesting and refocusing following former-CEO Joe Hogan’s sudden departure.
Digital manufacturing, especially featuring digital simulation of manufacturing processes, is the core of Germany’s Industrie 4.0 initiative. GE is pursuing a somewhat similar path, but it prefers the strategy of “Industrial Internet of Things.” Targeting automotive and aircraft manufacturers, these strategies hold the promise of not only increased manufacturing and supply chain efficiencies, but also possibilities of new business and income models.
What will be interesting to watch is whether Siemens and GE get so large in the space that they can no longer efficiently manage the diverse portfolio.
by Gary Mintchell | Oct 7, 2015 | Asset Performance Management, Internet of Things, Operations Management, Technology
UPDATED: Carpenter’s title changed after I wrote this. Also GE Intelligent Platforms is now called GE Digital.
GE now bills itself as the “digital industrial” company. It has realized the benefits of technologies such as the Watchdog Agent developed by the Center for Intelligent Maintenance Systems for monitoring and prognostics and the Industrial Internet of Things within its own manufacturing processes—especially aircraft engines.
Evidently it now all starts with the “digital thread.” To understand what was meant by this term, I was chatted with Rich Carpenter, Chief of Strategy Technology Strategist for GE Intelligent Platforms Digital.
I asked if this was essentially just a marketing term. “The digital thread is a way to describe a concept,” he told me. “People have become good at “leaning” out the manufacturing process. Now we are leaning out the entire new product introduction cycle. They are optimizing to the end of the path from design to engineering. Closing that loop and carrying forward to manufacturing.”
Companies have accumulated big data infrastructures, so they are also leaning out interactions between digital silos by managing the data flows. This enables remote diagnostics.
Carpenter also mentioned a process I’m beginning to hear around the industry. First you connect things—people, sensors, machines. Then you collect and analyze the data you get from the process. Finally given all this, you can begin to optimize the process.
Official word
Here is a definition from GE, “While the Industrial Internet may be unchartered territory to some manufacturers, early adopters are starting to understand the benefits of the ‘Digital Thread – a web of data created the second they initiated their Industrial Internet journey. The digital thread is the result of several advanced manufacturing initiatives from the past decade, creating a seamless flow of data between systems that were previously isolated.
“This data is essentially the manufacturing health record, which includes data from everything to operator logs to weather patterns, and can be added to as needed. For example, you could compile the digital threads across multiple plants to get a full understanding of the efficiency and health of particular processes and product lines. This record provides data context and correlations between downtimes and outside factors, allowing operators to be proactive in their maintenance strategies.”
Health
I especially appreciate the term “manufacturing health record.” That’s a term Jay Lee at the IMS Center used often in the first phase of prognostics and the Watchdog Agent—a consortium that GE played an active part in.
Digital twin
We’ve heard of cyber-physical systems, and then Industry 4.0 which is a digital manufacturing model based upon it. Now we have a new term, “digital twin” which Carpenter says is a new way to describe a real world physical asset. Then, trying to optimize it, we’ll create a digital representation—a model based on statistics or physics. We run the model, then apply successes of the simulation in the real asset. Then feedback the information.
News release predictive analytics
GE held a conference in September that I could not attend. So, I talked with Rich Carpenter and some marketing people and obtained these press releases. These technologies and applications reveal where GE is heading as a Digital Industrial Company—and where it can take its customers, as well.
GE’s predictive analytics solution, SmartSignal, will be available as part of GE Digital’s Asset Performance Management (APM) solutions on the Predix platform, the purpose-built cloud platform for industry. SmartSignal powered by Predix will deliver anomaly detection with early warning capabilities that is SaaS-based and therefore at a lower cost and at a higher speed, making it accessible to a broader range of distributed equipment.
“Until now, advanced equipment monitoring and predictive anomaly detection capabilities have only been available to enterprises with significant resources, both in terms of machinery expertise and capital,” said Jeremiah Stone, General Manager, Industrial Data Intelligence Solutions for GE Digital. “Because of this, insight gained through predictive analytics has been limited to high value assets due to these cost and knowledge barriers.”
Companies see condition-based maintenance as a means to cut existing operations & maintenance costs. With SmartSignal powered by Predix, they will be able to capitalize on cloud and Big Data platforms to drive more efficient and productive operations.
“There is an unmet need in the industry for a cloud platform that supports the unique requirements of industrial data and operations,” said Harel Kodesh, Chief Technology Officer and Vice President & GM of Predix. “GE Predix is the first cloud platform to meet these demanding requirements. By leveraging GE’s deep domain expertise in information technology and operational technology, Predix provides a modern cloud architecture that is optimized for operational services like asset connectivity, managing and analyzing machine data, and industrial-grade security and regulatory compliance.”
Today, SmartSignal technology provides early warning detection for more than 15,000 critical assets in customer operations. According to May Millies, Manager of Power Generation Services, Salt River Project, “SmartSignal has us listening to the right data and using that data to impact our work operations.” Salt River Project provides reliable, reasonably priced electricity and water to more than two million people in Central Arizona. Integrating data to improve visibility into operations was a key to maintaining their standing with customers. “Now that we have realized the incredible performance of the software and how strong and robust it is, we are improving asset utilization across the enterprise.”
Brilliant manufacturing
In a second announcement, GE announced the next version of its Brilliant Manufacturing Suite. Field-tested and optimized within GE’s own factories, the suite maximizes manufacturing production performance through advanced real-time analytics to enable all manufacturers to realize GE’s Brilliant Factory vision.
“Today’s demands on manufacturers are driving an unprecedented rate of change, innovation and agility,” said Jennifer Bennett, General Manager for GE Digital’s Manufacturing Software initiatives. “Manufacturers are challenged to decide what to build, how to build it, where and when to build it, and how to efficiently maintain it. We believe that the key to optimizing the full product life cycle from design to service is through analytics of data that has been traditionally locked inside corporate silos.”
GE’s Brilliant Manufacturing Suite allows customers to begin to realize their own vision of a Brilliant Factory. Integrating and aggregating data from design to service and leveraging analytics to support optimal decision-making allows manufacturers to drive improvements in end-to-end production. Analyzing data in context and providing the right information at the right time allows for better decision support throughout the manufacturing process. Data-driven analytics encompassing machines, material, people and process will transform the factories of today into Brilliant Factories.
GE’s next generation Brilliant Manufacturing Suite includes:
- OEE Performance Analyzer – available for early access today, it transforms real-time machine data into actionable production efficiency metrics so that Plant Managers can reduce unplanned downtime, maximize yield and increase equipment utilization.
- Production Execution Supervisor – digitizes orders, process steps, instructions and documentation with information pulled directly from ERP and PLM systems. Factories are able to ship higher quality products and deliver new product introductions faster by getting the right information in the right hands to focus on the highest priority manufacturing tasks.
- Production Quality Analyzer – real-time identification of quality data boundaries that catch non-conforming events before they occur. Quality engineers can analyze this information to identify patterns and trends that enable factories to ship higher quality products faster.
- Product Genealogy Manager – builds a record of all personnel, equipment, raw materials, sub-assemblies and tools used to produce finished goods. Service personnel can respond to customer and regulatory inquiries with confidence, knowing who, what, when, where and how for an individual shipment.
by Gary Mintchell | Aug 14, 2015 | Automation, Internet of Things, Operations Management
97 percent of survey respondents in the manufacturing industry believe IoT is the most significant technology initiative of the decade.
OK, that is the kind of statistic that grabs the attention of someone who writes extensively about the Industrial Internet of Things. But the statistic also seems counter to other surveys I have seen where most manufacturers seem to be clueless about IoT and what benefits it will bring versus the imagined cost of implementation.
The press release came from Zebra Technologies Corporation. You know, the industrial printer company, right? I remember reselling Zebra printers 20 years ago. The press release led to a conversation with Jim Hilton, senior director, Global Manufacturing Principal, Zebra Technologies.
He came to Zebra by way of Symbol Technologies which had been acquired by Motorola Solutions which was acquired Nov. 1 by Zebra. Yes, it’s far more than a printer company. He describes the company as an IoT company that does printing. However, he also looks at IoT as an over-used term. He’s probably on the right track with that observation.
In November 2014, Zebra released global findings from Forrester Consulting on the adoption of IoT across numerous industries, surveying IT and business decision makers from nearly 600 global firms.
That is the source of the quote leading this post. Other findings include:
- 83 percent of surveyed manufacturers either already have IoT implementations in place or plans to deploy within a year.
- Wi-Fi, real-time locating systems (RTLS), security sensors, barcodes, GPS and mobile computers were cited as the most important technologies for enabling IoT solutions.
- Less than five percent of respondents believe the manufacturing industry is not prepared to make the changes required to implement IoT solutions.
- Half of the surveyed manufacturers cited cost concerns as the largest barrier to adopting IoT solutions while 46 percent indicated privacy and security concerns along with integration challenges.
Hilton went on to say, “Manufacturing operations are running more efficiently than ever before due to the installation of smart machinery and sensors on connected factory floors driving less machine downtime, better asset utilization and faster time to market. Our survey affirms that Industry 4.0 is well underway but more education and information sharing can be done to increase IoT adoption in the manufacturing space. Zebra Technologies is committed to bridging this gap by enabling a more intuitive manufacturing experience where processes, tools and staff are more deeply and smartly interconnected.”
by Gary Mintchell | Jul 6, 2015 | Automation, Industrial Computers, Internet of Things, News, Operations Management
Here is one of those press releases that attempts to use every current buzz word. Regardless, this business partnership shows how technology suppliers are partnering in order to move to the next level of manufacturing strategy.
EXOR International S.p.A. and NEXCOM International Co. announced a technology and business partnership to “enhance their worldwide presence in the automation and IT market by developing new HMI functions to fulfill the vision of Industry 4.0. Based on close cooperation between the two companies, NEXCOM has investing in EXOR International for 19.99% of the company.”
To achieve Industry 4.0‘s vision for smart manufacturing, NEXCOM has proposed PC-based IoT Automation Solutions consisting of intelligent controllers, IoT automation gateways, and big data collectors. Under the partnership, NEXCOM expands its product portfolio to EXOR’s virtualized human machine interface (HMI), a key element to Industry 4.0, offering all-around IoT Automation Solutions. Further, EXOR will extend its presence into the Asian market and grow JMobile platform to ensure global offering.
EXOR, with headquarters in Verona, Italy, is an international HMI supplier. EXOR HMI solutions span over industrial automation with an expertise in satisfying vertical markets and embedded design solutions.
NEXCOM, headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, is a leading international manufacturer of IoT Automation Solutions that offers comprehensive industrial computing solutions.
The partnership will leverage the synergy of EXOR and NEXCOM to enlarge and improve the quality of global offerings to the market, strengthen production capability, and enhance post-sales service with general maintenance and repair centers in Europe and Asia.
Co-development of new products will meet global demand of “ready-to-use products” with a stronger platform and exceptional time to market. Global service will be provided 24/7 to the needs of the market and customers.
by Gary Mintchell | May 14, 2015 | Automation, Industrial Computers, Internet of Things, Networking, Operations Management, Process Control
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about an open source hardware project for networked small controllers. Filament Tap began life as Pinoccio. The makers discovered a latent demand for these small, networked devices among manufacturers and decided to pivot away from the intended “maker” market to the industrial market.
Given networking as a core feature of Filament Tap, tying in with the Internet of Things is the natural next step. And that is just what Eric Jennings, co-founder and CEO did in this interview on the O’Reilly Radar podcast. Here he describes an openstack concept for connecting the Internet of Things.
As an aside, Tim O’Reilly is founder of the highly influential tech publishing house and conference organizer. The podcast highlights O’Reilly authors or speakers at one of its conferences.
Digital communication
Let’s go back 20 years or so. Engineers and executives saw the need for a solid method for connecting digitally all the industrial “things” out there. Maybe a network; maybe a fieldbus.
Then commenced the “fieldbus wars.” The net result came down to Foundation Fieldbus, HART, Profibus (and its derivatives), DeviceNet (and its offspring), and Ethernet (unfortunately with a variety of custom protocols stacked on the open TCP/IP stack.
Jennings comes to the industrial world from the Internet/Web world. He is just as amazed as others I have talked with who venture into our esoteric area of technology. Like his industrial network/fieldbus predecessors, he dreams of an openstack, standard method of connecting the Internet of Things—the decentralized Internet.
In the podcast he answers, “What would a decentralized Internet for the IoT look like and how would it work?” He likened it to the Web:
“We actually take a large portion of our model, our mental model, about a decentralized IoT from the early Web. If you imagine back in the early Web days — way back, mid-80s, early 90s — HTTP and websites had just started coming around, and they were originally focused and designed for academic research papers to link to each other.”
Jennings described the current landscape as “a death by a thousand paper cuts.” He said the situation isn’t ideal and that it “feels very much like a feudalist mentality of getting the largest number of people on your side for your consortium to get people to use yours versus others.”
Asked what the IoT would look like in 10 years if we continue down the path we’re on now:
“If we go on the same trajectory, it will end up probably looking a lot like what the industrial Internet looks like today. You’ve got companies that make their own proprietary solutions and their proprietary protocols — even if they’re not proprietary, they’re not open or standardized. If you buy a product from one company, you have to use all of the products that go along with that company in order to make that solution work. You can’t bring in another product from another company and have them inter-operate very well.”
The decentralized IoT stack, Jennings said, is really about creating a reality where devices don’t require a central authority to operate.
If a decentralized IoT openstack is fully realized and done right, we’ll see all sorts of things occurring that we can’t even imagine now: “I could see companies within an industry working together … the Caterpillars of the world and the John Deeres of the world letting their machines pay each other for data about loads a tractor is holding, or about how much capacity is left. … I have no idea what the future is going to look like, but it’s going to be pretty amazing if we can pull this off.”
Check out the entire podcast. It’s only about 30 minutes, but worth it.
If you are curious about the impact of the IoT or Industry 4.0 on your business, contact me. I have been advising clients on how they can adapt.
