将虚拟与现实世界合并

安全和保障是自动化界的热门话题。以安全性作为本月发行的重点，您将找到有关安全认证的现场总线网络和安全额定运动控制系统的新想法。我们甚至强调了安全系统与自动化系统有时争议的集成，按照严格的国际电子技术委员会（IEC）安全标准，可以节省成本和简化信息流。

这些突破的核心是数字技术，包括通信和诊断。数字技术的进步正在将梦想变成现实，并开创了解决问题的新方法。

A good example of this is an emerging area dubbed “digital manufacturing.” I recently attended an ARC Advisory Group Webcast on the topic, with ARC analysts Dick Slansky and Greg Gorbach addressing how digital manufacturing will integrate the product lifecycle, from design and build to support and maintain.

它是什么？根据ARC的说法，“数字制造代表了一套集成的工具套件，该工具通过强大的虚拟仿真工具来支持工艺设计，工具设计，工厂布局和可视化。”

Where does it fit in? Digital manufacturing sits in the space between product design and production processes. It provides process optimization modeling and virtual factory design for production lines, work cells, machines, packaging lines, assembly equipment—even the automation system itself.

What are the benefits? Says Slansky, “The main focus [of digital manufacturing] is optimizing production processes and reducing time to launch [new products]. Manufacturers can create factory models and use digital manufacturing tools to ensure that they operate at peak efficiency before a single piece of physical equipment is purchased, installed and commissioned.”

它在哪里使用？数字制造业最成功地部署在汽车，航空航天和防御和重型设备行业中。但是，ARC说，有希望的新市场包括消费品产品，食品和饮料，包装，电力和公用事业。

Who is providing the digital manufacturing tools? This is predominantly a development effort from the product lifecycle management (PLM) software suppliers. According to a white paper from research firm CIMdata, “digital manufacturing solutions need to exist within a PLM environment so that they can manage the processes, data and resources across planning activities…using common data models whenever possible…and with support for a heterogeneous computer-aided design (CAD) environment.”

Virtual automation

One of the hottest new areas for digital manufacturing, particularly for automation professionals, is the use of simulation tools to actually generate code. Says ARC’s Gorbach, “Computing technology has advanced to the point where we can deploy virtual equipment, such as robots and assembly lines, to simulate the production process and generate control code.”

Slansky和Gorbach引用了PLM重量级Dassault Systems和UGS作为模拟和代码生成领域的主要供应商。UGS的Tecnomatix软件包括用于机器人模拟和编程的功能。来自Dassault的Delmia自动化软件使用IEC 61131-3编程标准在调试之前为可编程逻辑控制器（PLC）目标创建，编辑，调试和验证控制逻辑。控制程序可以加载到虚拟或真实PLC。

Which brings us right back to our issue topic—safety. How cool is that, to be able to create, debug and test control code, in a simulated situation, before running it on a factory floor with real, live operators? It’s yet another example of virtual digital technology improving plant-floor safety and productivity.