INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATION previous page 03 John Saw, Product marketing Director, Pepperl+Fuchs Shanghai, China 2 competing standards available: wirelessHart and ISA100. What’s more, providers of process control systems have no overriding interest in opening up their propriety systems for broad communications. Reliability and safety are crucial factors – in any case factories with potentially explosives materials and atmospheres would only be able to implement tried and tested technologies that offer high protection class. John Saw: In factory automation, Ethernet based devices are gaining popularity and are already in use in some industries. In the automotive industry, cloud based solutions are also being discussed. Remote access to devices for maintenance and diagnostics is accepted and likely to spread quickly. To enable this capability, manufacturing processes and also flexibility to quickly match consumer demands would then be guided by data. In order to implement this, a reliable means of achieving data security would be an important requirement, and solutions still need to be found in this area. In what areas do you see or expect to see a strong impetus for change? Helge Hornis: I expect to see a real breakthrough when a large internet based company comes up with an overall solution that spills over into automation market. Once the idea of the network based automation spreads in the USA, then it will be quickly implemented. John Saw: Business models relying on low wages will not work forever in China. As such companies are thinking hard on how to create more value to achieve its competitive and comparative advantage. Increasing efficiency, achieving increased flexibility and reliability, better matching consumer demands to supply through connectivity is a growing trend. Customers want comprehensive, coordinated initiatives that provide a reliable and binding framework, which is as standardized as possible. Many experts are following the discussions on industry 4.0 in Germany with great interest. Shane Parr: I see a cascade effect happening, starting in the consumer market, carrying forward to factory automation and then into process automations. What specific actions are planned at present? Shane Parr: Advanced diagnostics and predictive maintenance are the 2 keywords used in process automation. And with fieldbus our devices already provide both. However, these capabilities have yet to be integrated into each individual system with its specific standards and protocols. It is often the case that the potential of available data is not fully utilized. We are already able to implement a wealth of additional networked intelligence at plant level. Helge Hornis: With SmartBridge, we are able to offer technology that enables users to take a significant step in this direction, without needing to change the plant and process control systems. As in the case for the heating regulators controlled via smartphones, Smartbridge can be taken off the shelf and put to immediate use. It requires a minimal investment, is easy to understand, and offers a direct benefit. This is not yet industry 4.0, but it a real example of sensor technology 4.0. John Saw: Our intelligent sensors and devices already offer features of detailed diagnosis, online monitoring, fault detection for predictive maintenance and route parameterization. We are sharing more and more with our customers to better enable them to integrate these features into their applications to achieve remote access and data transparency. The Smartbridge concept is generating interest in Asia as it further bridges field sensors and devices to the industry 4.0 concept. Photographs: Pepperl + Fuchs www.pepperl-fuchs.com AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2015
2. RUBRIZIERUNGSEBENE I 1. RUBRIZIERUNGSEBENE AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 4/2013 115
