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Seamless networking of existing systems in the Smart Factory with View SF

Are you familiar with the term "data silos"? Yes. Exactly. We're talking about various, perfectly valid individual applications that don't communicate with each other. These include energy management systems, CAQ (Computer-Aided Quality), machine controls, laboratory systems, fieldbus systems for automation tasks, integrated measurement systems, and even your ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system. Add to that the numerous Excel spreadsheets that your employees and teams have developed themselves. Making all this valuable information consistently available company-wide seems almost impossible. This is precisely the major hurdle for the Smart Factory, where all information must converge.

Seamless networking of existing systems in the Smart Factory with View SF
BernhardRohe_Logo.jpg

Bernhard Rohe

Managing Partner ViewSystems

The good news is that IndustryView SF is very well prepared for this task.

Let's approach this topic with an example: One of our customers produces high-precision components for the automotive industry. Machines, tools, and peripheral laser systems are used in production. Measurements of the test characteristics are taken at regular intervals, and the results are entered into the existing CAQ system. Energy consumption is measured by retrofitted measuring systems for electricity and compressed air. The following software systems are therefore in use:


  • Machine control (Beckhoff PLC)

  • Peripheral control (Siemens S7-1500)

  • Electricity and compressed air measurement systems (SQL server database)

  • CAQ (Oracle database)

  • ERP (SQL Anywhere database)

  • Excel data sheet as documentation of tool maintenance


Now IndustryView SF takes over and directs the data from all systems into a central data pool:


  • Connecting Beckhoff machine control systems via Beckhoff OPC UA servers

    (All data - i.e., all details with approximately 100 measured values - flow into the digital twin of the machine)

👍In our example, we can now directly access the pressing force and the tool locking channels.

  • Peripheral control is handled by the Siemens S7-1500, which is connected via a TIA-OPC-UA server.

(The data - including all detailed information - flows into the digital twin of the periphery)

👍The laser temperature data is available.

 

  • The digital twin of the machine obtains the power and compressed air measurement values directly from the SQL server database.

👍Energy consumption increases with increasing wear and tear of the tool components.

 

  • The measured values from CAQ flow into the digital twin of the product, which is networked with the machine and peripherals throughout the entire process.

👍The individual measured values change with the formation of burrs on the tool cutting components.

 

  • IndustryView SF has already taken over the customer order and item data for production order creation.

👍In case of rejection, the current production order is immediately supplemented to ensure flawless and timely delivery.

 

  • Instead of the Excel spreadsheet, the tool maintenance team uses the tool maintenance app within IndustryView SF.

👍The machine operator has all the necessary tool information at their fingertips, allowing them to adjust the machine parameters directly. This significantly speeds up the setup process.

 

Let's stick with our example and put ourselves in the situation of the mechanic who will perform the maintenance on the tool.


Quite simply… he opens the app, looks at all the data from the last tool use, notices that some of the measured values are constantly increasing, and replaces the relevant tool parts.

 




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