PECM Issue 36 2019 | Page 65

DATA MINING Against the backdrop of a desire to increase OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) by means of digitalization, there is a high demand for analysis of extracted data (data mining) from production. In the first instance there is a recipe and production data for internal evaluation. In addition, the condition and operating profile of devices like the robot’s components such as servo drives can be recorded. This provides valuable information for instance the status of wear parts and any contamination. The resulting database information then enables predictive maintenance strategies with a significant saving potential in maintenance costs. To improve these strategies further, Mitsubishi Electric is developing a new edge computing technology called MELIPC that will be fully commercialized in the course of the coming year. It is aiming at leveraging the value of manufacturer’s data through the use of advanced analytic algorithms executed on the edge of the shop floor. Another important category of process data is the one that is used for traceability and consumer information, especially in the food sector. This can be employed, for example, to prove compliance with the cold chain or to attach origin information to food packaging that can be called up via a QR code. “At Mitsubishi Electric, we can collect all data from PLCs, controls and drives centrally and process it locally using special edge computing technologies. This reduces the bill for storage space in the cloud in addition to delivering many other advantages for production control and monitoring. “Robots are far from replacing all manual work in the packaging industry,” summarizes Malte Schlüter. “As fully integrated, intelligent ‘colleagues’, they will help to make tasks more comfortable and efficient though. This is no longer a dream of the future, because we have the corresponding technology right now - and it is economic to use”. About Mitsubishi Electric With nearly 100 years of experience in providing reliable, high-quality products, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation is a recognised world leader in the manufacture, marketing and sales of electrical and electronic equipment used in information processing and communications, space development and satellite communications, consumer electronics, industrial technology, as well as in products for the energy sector, transportation and building equipment. Our sales offices, research & development centres and manufacturing plants are located in over 30 countries. eu3a.mitsubishielectric.com/fa Issue 36 PECM 65