New-Tech Europe Magazine | Oct 2017 | Digital Edition

Machine Preparation for Connection to the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT)

EATON

Connecting machines and systems to the IoT through the use of smart components Introduction Control system solutions based on industrial PCs are firm fixtures in the design of machines and systems, having demonstrated operational reliability. Now that the automation sector has merged with the first generation of information technology, the next step is for the use of smart components to be networked and connected to the Internet of Things (IoT). Industry 4.0, the fourth industrial revolution, requires that machines, devices, sensors, and people are

able to communicate and share data seamlessly, lowering the cost of production and to give a clear advantage in the competitive global environment. Utilising cloud-based services, production resources and even entire production sites can be networked together. In automation technology, it is often more efficient to develop modular, distributed (or rather decentralised) systems, presenting the opportunity to reduce development effort, perform upgrades easier and lower maintenance costs. To achieve this aim, it is necessary for simple components such as variable frequency drives, protection, switching and push- buttons to become communication-

enabled devices that are able to make independent decisions based on the available environmental data. In this way they become intelligent components - or smart devices. Rather than being considered at the end of the machine development process, these devices should become the first module for a machine designed for Industry 4.0.

From smart device to a cyber physical production system

A component such as a motor, when used in conjunction with sensors and a smart device can become a cyber physical system (CPS). With a machine with multiple motors, these CPSs can communicate

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