"Interoperability is the key to differentiating our products in a networked world of Industry 4.0," says Dr. Horst Heinol-Heikkinen, Chairman of the VDMA OPC Vision Initiative, and continues: "OPC UA is the designated standard for making machines in the smart factory of the future speak the same language. With today's publication of the Companion Specifications, we have reached a milestone on this path."

Self-describing robots

The OPC UA Companion Specification for Robotics - OPC UA Robotics for short - offers a standardized information model that is capable of uniformly representing all robot-related data regardless of manufacturer and location. Part 1, which has now been released as a draft, enables asset management, condition monitoring, preventive maintenance and vertical integration - at any time, anywhere in the world and regardless of manufacturer and robot type. It provides the basis for analyzing data and increasing overall equipment effectiveness.

Simplified integration of the BV

The OPC UA Companion Specification for Machine Vision - OPC UA Vision for short - provides a generic model for all machine vision systems - from simple vision sensors to complex inspection systems. Put simply, it defines the essence of a machine vision system. Part 1, which has now been published as a release candidate, describes the infrastructure layer, which is an abstraction of the generic vision system. It enables the standardized control of an image processing system and abstracts the necessary behaviour via a so-called status machine concept. The management of recipes, configurations and results is standardized, whereby the contents remain manufacturer-specific and are treated as black boxes.

Testbed for the validation of OPC UA Companion specifications

The VDMA is a co-founder of the pre-competitive and non-profit association Labs Network Industry 4.0 (LNI), which operates neutral testbeds and focuses use cases on SME requirements and standardization. Within this framework, Ravensburg-Weingarten University of Applied Sciences is planning to establish the first testbed for validating the OPC UA Companion specifications in its laboratory together with industry partners. "Practical validation by users, especially SMEs, is a key to success for subsequent international standardization activities," emphasizes Dr. Christian Mosch from VDMA Forum Industrie 4.0. The testbed is open to new partners without barriers.