industry 4.0 at the sensor level - simon sumner

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Industry 4.0

Sensor Level

Simon Sumner – Business Development Manager


The machine/human analogy

Higher systems – Communication

PLC - Brain

Actuators – Muscles, movement

Sensors – Sight, hearing, touch

Industry 4.0 – Sensor Level – The Lowest Level

Ability for sensors to provide ‘more’ information

Sensors bi-directional communication with other systems

PLCSCADAMES

SENSORS

ACTUATORS

What are we talking about?

19/06/2015S Sumner - Business Development Manager 3


Flexible

ManufacturingReduce Changeover Time

Reduce Downtime

Condition

MonitoringSelf Optimisation

Smart

MaintenanceSimplify Replacement

Reduce Downtime

IMPROVE EFFICIENCY

The secret to a good relationship is… COMMUNICATIONApparently this is also applicable in automation!

• How can we realise this at the sensor level?

• A good analogy is found in the consumer based ‘Internet of Things’

Why?



Consumer IoT: Useful or gimmick?

Ridiculous Not quite so ridiculous Actually quite useful

The challenges in the industrial IoT

• Value added by making a device ‘connected’ – Is it worth it?

• Multiple platform integration – How to get the data in/out

• Application compatibility – Performance criteria/actual requirements

Industrial ‘Internet of Things’



• Complex Sensor Systems- Typically Bus Data IO (Direct or Via Gateway)

• Intelligent Devices – Typically Analogue/Some Binary IO

• Commodity Devices – Mostly Binary/Some Analogue IO

The World of Sensors



These technologies are Industry 4.0 ‘Ready’ - Examples

Position Systems – BUS IO

Status/error + process dataConfigurable remotely

RFID – BUS IO

Status/error - tags and readersControl from any connected device

Smart Safety – BUS IO

Status/error conditionsConfigurable/real time diagnosticsDevice level diagnostics possible

Complex Sensor Systems



This level is the question for the future

• Do we need intelligent toasters?

• Intelligent proximity switch – Equivalent to the WiFi Toaster?

• An inductive proxy could tell you if the target was too close?

• You could alter the detection range?

• The photocell could tell you rough distance to object?

• The photocell could give reflector remission for preventative maintenance?

• A PT100 could give you status information?

• Every sensor auto-configured when replaced?

• How much is that worth…?

However… What if…?

Commodity Devices



• Sensors often provide time critical signals for machine operation

• Addition of BUS interfaces causes timing issues varying on type

• Multiple BUS interfaces would create many product versions + increase cost

This level is where there is most to gain

• Example application 1: Print mark scanner

• Exact timing required / Digital output

• Varying configuration by job

• What if…?

• Job configurations stored centrally

• Job change -> automatic reconfiguration

• Status/alarm/fault indication

• Auto-configuration when sensor replaced

Mid-Level Devices



• Example application 2: Fill level sensor

• Digital output – Go/No Go

• Varying configuration by job

• What if…?

• Full configuration available remotely• Stored job variants• Access to configuration variables

• Status/alarm/fault indication

• Auto-configuration when sensor replaced

• This technology is available in a variety of mid-range sensors:

• Pressure/Flow/Level

• Photocell/Ultrasonic/Laser Distance/Light Grid

Mid-Level Devices



Implemented using

• Industry standard sensor/actuator communication protocol (IEC 61131-9)

• Communicates ‘underneath’ the standard IO connections

• Maintains the same wiring architecture – Eg. Standard M12/M8

• Multiple applications can be realised with the same sensors

• Cross manufacturer support + IO blocks for BUS systems



• IO-Link is used for offline configuration of sensors

• Lowers effective cost of sensors in manufacture

• Sensors can still be used in standard non IO-Link enabled systems

• Concept like SmartBridge can interface to sensors in application

• Can be used for preventative maintenance/configuration via mobile device

Additional Functions


industry 4.0 at the sensor level - simon sumner

Engineering