At Automate, Siemens introduced a brand new workstation designed to handle quite a few {hardware} management factors all through the manufacturing facility. Siemens SIMATIC Automation Workstation was designed let producers change a {hardware} PLC, a traditional HMI, and an edge system with a single, software-based workstation. This ushers in Web Know-how (IT) workflows to Operational Know-how (OT) environments.
The Siemens SIMATIC Workstation might be seen and managed from a central level. Since programming, updates and patches might be deployed to your complete fleet in parallel, the store flooring stays in synch. An instance of the worth this brings happens when a facility must ramp up or down rapidly in response to fluctuating demand. The producer is not tied to bins on the ground and may rapidly deploy programming tailored to the present demand situation.
Picture courtesy of Siemens.
Ford Was Key to the Workstation’s Improvement
Del Costy, president and managing director of Siemens Digital Industries within the US instructed Design Information about Ford’s position within the improvement of the workstation. “As a pacesetter in industrial automation know-how, Ford got here to us with a imaginative and prescient and a problem. Siemens, recognizing the advantages of system alignment between IT and OT, labored with Ford to co-create the SIMATIC Automation Workstation,” mentioned Costy.
To create the workstation Siemens revamped each the {hardware} and the software program. “Our engineers labored to mix our complete {hardware} and software program options to attain this mutual purpose of enhancing shopfloor visibility and growing flexibility via a centralized administration system,” mentioned Costy. “This SIMATIC Automation Workstation symbolizes a downpayment on the digitalization of trade and the way forward for manufacturing.”
The Workstation Turns into a Platform for Additional Improvement
The Siemens SIMATIC Workstation is an on-premises OT system that makes use of Siemens industrial edge know-how to permit for top information throughput with the low latency wanted to permit producers to run an expanded number of modular functions. This is applicable not solely to conventional automation duties like movement management, sequencing, and security, nevertheless it turns into the platform for future, novel automation duties that incorporate industrial AI-in-the-control-loop, akin to visible inspection and robotic greedy and inserting.
Costy defined how this interprets into real-world advantages. “In instances of volatility in demand and provide, producers can not be tied to bins on the ground that must be individually — and manually — up to date. Centralized administration is the most suitable choice for growing visibility and safety for producers managing a excessive variety of automation management factors,” mentioned Costy. “This makes automation extremely scalable and adjustments the sport for a way factories might be managed. We now have arrived at a second the place we’re solely restricted by our imaginations.”
The preliminary deployment of SIMATIC Workstations shall be deployed throughout a lot of Ford Motor Firm’s manufacturing amenities.
