The ability to manufacture products according to variable lot size without substantially increasing production costs is a key indicator of the Smart Factory. The future success of production facilities will largely be determined by their capacity for production changeability and the ability to connect points along the entire value chain. In production operations, existing conditions at each location are important factors. That’s why the Smart Factory should not be viewed as a bolt-on solution, but as a smart version of an existing production line, with the added benefits of being unique as the processes of the company itself.
Smart Factory ideas, methods, and approaches must also be considered to improve existing individual production processes. These improvements may lie in more efficient use of resources during production, preventing duplication of applications along the value-added chain, or significantly shortening system engineering times.
No matter which method is applied for transitioning to the Smart Factory, networking existing processes and operations remains a prerequisite. This networking should include connections from the control system to the field level, as well as to the various steps in the value-added chain. Manufacturers should be aware that diverse media and system discontinuities can make correlating data logically and sensibly difficult across unique processes. As a rule, each IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) approach consists of recording, digitizing, and linking data to one another such that a sustainable added value is generated for the corporation.
智能工厂的数据透明度
沿着该路径的第一步需要跨所有生产和系统数据的透明度。只有当数据进入上下文时，适当地处理并合并到信息中才能措施措施来改善生产过程。这意味着传感器必须在现场级别记录产品和生产相关数据。因此，必须在系统架构中考虑这些传感器，或者包含在产品本身中。关于生产相关的数据 - 通过机器和系统上的传感器记录 - 挑战在于仅仅是数据收集中的内容，而且在将信息安全地和无错误的信息中提升到更高的系统中，例如制造执行系统或云。阻碍这一点的主要因素是在云中传输和存储数据的相对高的牺牲。
这是边缘控制器可以提供决定性贡献的地方。模块化边缘系统通过使信号从现场水平可靠地收集并在植物地板上局部管理来提供适用的任何传感器界面的合适解决方案。具有不同通信接口和现场总线的边缘控制器可用于通过CANopen，PROFIBUS DP，Ethernet / IP或Modbus-TCP从制造商独立的设备收集此数据，并且还可以通过MQTT和OPC UA协议管理垂直信息。
Some advanced edge controllers can be incorporated into existing automation systems as scalable nodes and gateways, which can be retrofitted without having to interfere with the actual automation process. The data can then be aggregated into abridged information for transmission to a higher-level system or the cloud. The advantages connected with a cloud link offer numerous benefits, as cloud solutions are flexible, scalable, highly available, and provide the opportunity for centralized access.
