Key strategies01 June 2006

In theory, it is possible to use computers to run a factory or plant in such a way that production is automatically optimised. Orders received can be responded to in such a way as to minimise production times and costs.

We all know, though, that in the real world this just does not happen, and it is not likely to, because there is something of a gulf between the shop floor production systems and the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) management systems. Bridges do exist and Jordi Andreu, president EMEA region for Rockwell Automation, speaking at this year's Rockwell Automation University, says his company is "working in that direction" through a family of products called 'Factory Talk'. This is intended to be the management layer providing plant-wide information, on top of the 'Logix' shop floor control systems. Speak with the average computer software salesman, or look at the material on a typical business software company website, and one might think that such a capability is available already. Those who use such software, however, are well aware that it isn't, and it was refreshing to hear Andreu respond to the question: 'when will full factory-wide integration become commercially available?' His response: "We expect to complete full integration in the next three years, but it is difficult for any provider to give a specific date."

There are companies that have achieved something approaching the desired goal. At a presentation on behalf of the US company Banner Engineering, which makes sensing and machine safety products, it was said that the MRP system adjusts production schedules in response to order inputs every 15 minutes. Unfortunately, the detail of how this happens was not revealed.

It is possible to buy a Distributed Control System (DCS) for a petrochemical plant that works quite well. But it could be argued that such a plant is essentially one very large machine. What Rockwell was talking about are businesses that depend on lots of machines making different products.

A few years ago, the solution was going to be software 'agents', where every order, product, assembly and machine would be associated with its own intelligent agent, able to communicate and negotiate with others to obtain best solutions. The idea is alive and well, but still in the lab and likely to remain there for several more years. Meanwhile, Rockwell is looking for more conventional solutions to fill the gaps and ,where it does not have one, intends to buy them - for example, its purchase of Datasweep in November 2005, which, according to Andreu, has saved the company three years' development work.

Datasweep is headquartered in San Jose in Silicon Valley and comes out of the semiconductor chip business. What its products do is to help manufacturers convert day-to-day operations data into business knowledge to enable timely decision making. "Datasweep has a demonstrated track record for helping manufacturers dramatically improve production information tracking, visibility and control across an entire enterprise," says Kevin Roach, vice president Rockwell software.

In a typical large enterprise, there can be thousands of point solutions from hundreds of different vendors, none of which communicates openly and seamlessly with all the others, regardless of what vendor salesmen may say to the contrary.

In a discussion forum at the Rockwell event, David Humphrey, a senior analyst with the ARC Advisory Group, said a 'plug and play' type of interoperability between manufacturing software packages was needed.

"We are in the middle of [achieving] it right now. Integration presently costs 40% to 80% of the total IT budget. We hope to cut this to 20% of total costs in five years."
Christian Schwaiger, sales business development manager, manufacturing, European and emerging markets for Cisco Systems, complained that, with regard to fieldbus systems on the factory floor, "there are different implementations by every vendor". (Last time we counted, we found more than fifty)

"There is no integration between the factory floor and MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) and ERP systems."

Schwaiger thought that the present situation in factory automation was where Voice over IP (VoIP) telephony was seven or eight years ago - with multiple, competing, incompatible technologies. He did express a note of caution, however, pointing out that a plant with a completely integrated system, connected to the Internet, was wide open to viruses and deliberate attacks.

Nowadays, these might come from terrorists, criminals or disgruntled employees. "Security is a key element. A single firewall is not enough," he insisted, although he then checked himself, insisting that security issues can be solved: "we can do it." With this in mind, the obvious question is: "should end users keep their money in their pockets then, until the problems are solved?" ARC's Humphrey countered by answering, "it is past time for customers to invest in integrated architectures".

Danny Solomon, director of consulting, industrial automation, Frost and Sullivan, pointed out there were companies that have managed to integrate fully their manufacturing and management systems. He made particular mention of the food and beverage industries, where tracking and tracing is critical. Return on investment is, he said, was "a very basic metric" when deciding whether to invest in IT and that typical paybacks of five to seven years were "too long", but there could be "strategic elements that can override" decisions such as the need for traceability and tracking.

Cisco's Schwaiger concluded the discussion by saying the industry that most needed to get its act together was US automotive. Whereas European automotive manufacturers produce about 50% of their cars to customer order, this only applied to about 10% of cars built in the US, the majority of which have features customers have not asked for and do not want, so dealers have to discount them in order to sell them.

Schwaiger stressed that US automotive manufacturers need to focus on customers - and not return on investment - in making improvements in manufacturing, planning and the production process to produce cars that are configured to customer orders.

This need to optimise manufacturing processes constantly in the light of changed requirements applies to all industries. Design to order and configure to order systems are quite commonplace in a variety of industries, but closing the loop with manufacturing so as to optimise deliveries and profits remains elusive.

Enterprise control system
Invensys is also to tackle the problem of integrating enterprise management and plant systems with a product named 'InFusion', aimed mainly at the process industries. Innovations include more than 60 issued patents and patent applications, and the system integrates across virtually all existing platform DCS and PLC subsystems and intelligent field devices, regardless of vendor or protocol.

It also aims to offer interoperability between plant floor, MES and enterprise systems, and a unified engineering and support environment. Key technologies and standards include Microsoft .NET and BizTalk Server 2004, SAP NetWeaver, ISA S95 (for manufacturing to enterprise integration), MIMOSA (for maintenance to enterprise integration and OPC (for real-time connectivity). InFusion is said to provide the first major convergence of OPC, ISA S95 and MIMOSA.

An 'InFusion Collaboration Wall' can be used to provide plant operators, maintenance technicians, engineers and managers with a shared view of process control, maintenance, performance and business application displays to encourage and facilitate creative collaboration.

John Snodgrass, advanced process control leader at Chemtura Corp, a global specialty chemical company, said that finally he had a solution "that will connect all my control systems and all my business systems, without requiring the prohibitive investment to build a bridge. This is something I have been hoping to see for a very long time".

SOE

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