The directive of FANUC for EMO in Hannover represents a statement for future development directions. As a universal answer to Industrial IoT, FANUC has developed the FIELD System which is an open platform that enables the execution of various Industrial IoT applications within a factory focusing on interconnecting devices such as machine tools, robots, PLCs and sensors.
Nowadays software and hardware developments are not surprisingly focusing on the directives of the Industry 4.0 principles. All devices are becoming smarter and more communicative, and searching for potential connections to other devices, or to the entire production. In the world of the Industrial Internet of Things, which is the key notion of the breakthrough of Industry 4.0, all devices produce valuable data, contributing to make processes and production more trackable. However, the vast amount of data is only the resource to make more efficient processes, in order to capitalize on them we need intelligent tools to extract the information and insights out of them.
One of the main hindering affects at the moment is that developments occurring in parallel with each other are counterproductive, as systems and devices hardly cooperate with the solutions of other developers, therefore seeing the production in their distinct sections, but not in its complexity. This is bad news for “Smart Factories” working under the idea of the Industry 4.0, as their production include numerous different suppliers using their own solutions, which produce, gather data, control, and analyse. In order to resolve this problem FANUC developed the FIELD System.
IIoT and artificial intelligence in relation with FANUC
Developments correlating to the principles of Industry 4.0 is the most dominating direction of FANUC. Many intelligent, self-learning systems were developed in order to make machining tools and industrial robots more efficient and reliable, but recent developments are really suggesting a cornerstone of development efforts. It is an interesting coincidence that the notion of Industry 4.0 first appeared at Hannover Messe in 2011, and now after 6 years, when the main topic remained Industry 4.0 at EMO Hannover, FANUC introduces its latest invention, the FIELD (FANUC Intelligence Edge Link & Drive System). The ground-breaking system offers a complex tool for interconnecting machining tools, industrial robots, PLCs, sensors and many more. The open platform also gives the opportunity to collect, analyse and store large amount of data, and draw intelligent conclusions, making production processes smarter.
The open platform offers system houses, robot integrators, machining tool builders, sensor and peripheral suppliers to develop their own application to the system, in order to connect them in the network of the entire factory. Above of all, the FIELD grants connection to Enterprise Resource Planning, Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing Execution System.
Moreover the new invention capitalizes on the previously developed software solutions of FANUC, the MT-LINKi and ZDT. The first one enables customers connecting machining tools into networks, collect production data, optimize machining and maintenance tasks. The other one, ZDT (Zero Down Time) is aiming to minimize unexpected machine breakdowns, analysing machine behaviour and predicting ware out of parts, therefore helping scheduling maintenances.
What is coming now?
Generating large quantities and varying types of data requires manufacturers to develop solutions to process, analyse and implement changes based on the results in an effective and efficient manner. “How can we further optimise our solutions? When will it be possible to make machines work autonomously? Make them learn, plan or reason?” AI is on the rise and machine learning a hot topic. This field explores the study and construction of algorithms which enable machines to perform predictive analytics and build models to adapt independently when exposed to new situations. This promises to be the future in industry: independently learning machines which can undertake tasks more efficiently than ever before.
Networking machines and the collected big data will enable factories to further optimize their production by drawing intelligent conclusions supported by artificial intelligence
The next milestone of development for Industry 4.0 is foreseen to be artificial intelligence
The MT-LINKi software collects, stores, analyses production data of networked machining tools
