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The horizontal architecture of today’s design/
build/operate lifecycle promotes and enables
the concept of the digital factory and enterprise. Enterprise software applications like ERP,
SCM, and SRM are integral parts of the lifecycle
from design to operations, and are dependent
on product (BOM/ERP), process, and production information to power the functions of these
enterprise solutions. Along with this connection
to enterprise business applications, the product
and production lifecycle now includes MES and
MOM solutions. These operational applications are integrated with the product design and
manufacturing process domains of the product
lifecycle. With the emergence of advanced analytics applied to data generated from monitoring
and measuring the execution of the production
process, manufacturers will be able to fully realize the promise of continuous process improvement. Analytics will be one of the keys to
monitoring, controlling, optimizing, and enabling the autonomous factory.
AMNYTT #2
2015
The Smart Connected Factory Embodies a
System of Systems
Clearly, in the case of manufacturing, high
value production equipment has been heavily
instrumented for some time in a closed, hardwired factory network environment. Industrial
sensors, controllers, and networks have proven
to be an expensive investment for manufacturers and upgrades to existing facilities are difficult and often interrupt production. The growth
of IoT in the consumer product sector has driven
down the cost of sensors, embedded intelligence,
and communications interfaces through high
volume semiconductor manufacturing. On the
other hand, industrial equipment continues to
be constrained by a very large installed base of
legacy equipment based on industry standards
and proprietary communications protocols.
The next generation of smart connected factories will be designed and architected as a system of systems involving production systems,