With the OPC Router, Inray offers a platform for collecting and combining data and providing information - using the OPC UA communication standard. A step-by-step introduction is possible in every company and all systems can be fully integrated. The aim is to provide data in the right place at the right time - without any programming or isolated solutions.

Overview of data flow

Until now, data connections, for example between a PLC and database or from a database and an Excel spreadsheet, could only be activated completely as a project via the OPC Router. With the new version 4.0 of the OPC Router, connections can now also be switched online individually without interrupting the data recording. Transfers of the complete project are only necessary for major changes. Extensive analysis options provide the user with a program that gives him a constant overview of the data flow in his company. By clicking on the timeline of individual connections, the administrator can see exactly when which data was transferred. Transfer errors are displayed in corresponding detail: For example, if a participating system does not respond, this is directly visible in the graphical user interface. There is no need for lengthy analysis of log files; the administrator can easily keep an eye on the data flow. The software interface has also changed: "The new graphical interface makes operation much easier for users," explains Stefanie Grunert, sales representative at Inray. "The creation of individual connections and transfers is carried out via user-friendly graphical configuration and requires no programming at all. This makes it easy to make changes to a system. The transfer history can also be visualized via the same interface."

The OPC Router can compile data from external systems such as Excel or e-mail reports, which solves the problem of duplicate data maintenance. In the event of data entry errors or the occurrence of certain events, the OPC Router can support alerting and trigger an e-mail notification. The OPC router thus ensures that data is available electronically throughout the company. The master computer systems generate the information required for networked production.

Typical application scenarios

Typical application scenarios for using the OPC router are process value acquisition from control systems and storage in central databases or in distributed systems (MDE/BDE). Consumption data can also be recorded, for example in energy monitoring or material flow, and then forwarded to MES, SAP systems or energy information portals. The OPC router can also be used for fault reporting and status recording, where it provides the basis for creating key performance indicators (KPI) and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). The transmission of a recipe download from the ERP and SAP system directly to the PLC or MES is just as possible as the automated compilation of label data according to requirements from the control system, including printout on a printer.