Making Factories Smarter Through Machine Learning
2 . BACKGROUND
Plethora IIoT 10 , part of the ETXE-TAR Group , a federation of closely coupled industrial manufacturing companies , through use of machine learning is utilizing predictive maintenance to minimize downtime and maximize the operation of their sophisticated Computer Numeric Control ( CNC ) machines . These machines are used to build automobile powertrain parts , like crankshafts , camshafts and connecting rods , with highly precise requirements executed over an extremely short cycle time . A key advantage that Plethora utilizes is monitoring key parameters to effectively learn the system behavior to predict failures before they occur . With the support of ETXE-TAR and Ikergune , the research and development company for the ETXE-TAR Group and other ecosystem partners , Plethora IIoT has developed a system called Oberon . This system covers the needs from data gathering independently from the domain to visualization , giving important information in terms of machine behavior ( useful for machine or system builder ) and process behavior ( useful for machine / system user ).
One of the key elements of the Oberon system is the intelligent gateway , designed and manufactured by System-on-Chip Engineering ( SoC-e ) 11 . The gateway utilizes highly configurable all programmable System-on-Chip ( SoC ) technology to perform real time acquisition , sensor fusion , filtering , pattern detection and analysis of the data extracted . The gateway is intelligent in the way that it combines smart networking , flexible hardware-software computation and high speed data acquisition systems . This system is able to provide “ Plug & Work ” operation through time-sensitive , redundant protocols for Ethernet ( High Availability-Seamless Redundancy / Parallel Redundancy Protocol - HSR / PRP ). These protocols ensure zero loss of data in the event of network failure or hot plug-in due to plant layout changes . From the security and cybersecurity point-of-view , the intelligent gateway ensures a multi- layered security approach . Strong security means are applied at the device , system , network and application levels . This approach , based on cybersecurity by design is a key element in the emerging connected industrial environment . Learnings from the Industrial Internet Consortium ’ s ( IIC ) Industrial Internet Security Framework ( IISF ) document are directly applied , as this is the same gateway found at the heart of the IIC Security Claims Evaluation Testbed . Details of the intelligent gateway functionality and capabilities applied to the Smart Factory are presented in XCell Journal 92 Article “ Intelligent Gateways Make the Factory Smarter .”
In terms of acquisition , sensor fusion , pre-processing and processing software developed by Ikergune , the main objective is to gather data coming from sensors with the required sampling rate , independently from the variable . Therefore , it can sample each variable with smart criterions : For example , temperature may not be measured with the same frequency of vibration
10
SPRI , Basque Industrie 4.0 , 29 Nov 2016 . [ En línea ]. Available : https :// goo . gl / jrzFlF
11
System-On-Chip engineering – SOC-e CPPS 40 Intelligent Gateway .
IIC Journal of Innovation - 31 -