AROUND THE WORLD
Figure 1: Direct communication of machines and applications – © Salzburg Research.
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Digitalization increases the complexity of communication in networked production systems. Salzburg Research and COPA-DATA are working on a revolutionary concept: Semantic Integration Patterns are designed to facilitate integration and create secure and standardized communication channels. DATA INTEGRATION AS A CHALLENGE FOR DIGITALIZATION In recent years, digitalization has developed into a key driver for optimizing industrial productivity, equipment availability, sustainability, and resource efficiency. The boundary between OT and IT has become blurred and there has been extensive networking of production and IT systems. Industry 4.0 transformed every new machine and component into an intelligent, networked asset. This trend continues through the digital retrofitting of existing equipment. When data is exchanged between every machine and every application, a production network arises as illustrated in Figure 1. The classic automation pyramid1 is dissolved, because the equipment (edge layer) continuously supplies data to all those IT systems (application layer) that need this data for monitoring, surveillance, analysis, and control processes. The heterogeneity and multiplicity of conventional protocols and standards place complex demands on data integration. COMPLEX COMMUNICATION Connected production networks place complex requirements on digital communication and the interoperabil-
ity of the systems involved. The manual or automatic processes deployed differ fundamentally, in several important ways: – – –
in the openness and access to relevant messages or control units, in the communication protocols used, in the adaptability to different receiver systems.
It is not uncommon for “vendor lock-in effect” to occur. Further, high integration effort and cost can result because the devices that generate the messages have to know the recipient systems and their programming interfaces exactly and map the information provided to the information model of the recipient. For example, when error messages are generated by different equipment but all need to be forwarded to a maintenance planning system or AI software via an HMI/SCADA system. DIGITAL TWINS AS INFORMATION HUB In state-of-the-art manufacturing networks, the concept of digital twins – or digital replica of physical assets – has established itself as an important tool in the digital transformation of automation and production processes.
1 Åkerman, M. (2018). Implementing Shop Floor IT for Industry 4.0. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326224890_Implementing_Shop_Floor_IT_for_Industry_40
