OPC UA Robotics Companion Specification published

"Version 1.02 of the OPC Robotics Companion Specification adds new functionality that allows an OPC UA client to control robots at a higher level, for example loading programs or starting and stopping production. In addition, a number of state machines have been added that allow a client to monitor the execution state both at the system level and at the level of individual tasks. The working group has put a lot of energy into creating this update, and I am convinced that we are well on the way to further expanding the robotics information model," says Øyvind Landsnes, R&D Senior Principal Engineer at ABB and member of the VDMA OPC Robotics Core Working Group.

Part 1 of the Companion Specification deals with three important use cases: Asset Management, Condition Monitoring and Remote Operation. The OPC Robotics information model enables manufacturer-independent access to the asset information of all integrated robot systems and their components. It also allows status values and parameters to be compared across the installed systems, enabling deviations and anomalies to be detected at an early stage.
OPC Robotics stands for a complete motion device system that includes a list of motion devices. These motion devices can be existing robot types or future robot systems that have not yet been developed. With the latest update 1.02, remote control of a robot system is now possible. This makes it possible to start or stop a robot system and to load or unload robot programs using specially defined state machines.

The VDMA OPC Robotics Initiative

In February 2017, the VDMA OPC Robotics Initiative launched the development of the OPC UA Robotics Companion Specifications. OPC UA is based on a service-oriented architecture and a server-client model. The added value lies in the development of an industry-specific information model for robotics, which is also referred to as a "companion specification". Access to and management of data have been identified as the basis for future business models.

Before the introduction of OPC Robotics, there was no uniform interface standard for industrial robots. Users wanted a common standard for manufacturer-independent information access, whereby data should be usable both in cloud applications and in higher-level manufacturing systems. Around 35 companies were involved in the overall working group, including 14 companies that formed the core working group for the creation of the information model.

Stefan Hoppe, President and CEO of the OPC Foundation, says on the occasion of the publication: "Industrial robots are no longer isolated systems. They are evolving into intelligent, fully integrated components of the digital factory. Thanks to OPC UA, robots can now speak the same language as the rest of the automation world. This success of the VDMA OPC Robotics Initiative is not only a milestone for Industry 4.0, but also a central building block for the broader vision of digitalization - from the shop floor to the cloud to data rooms and initiatives such as Manufacturing-X or Catena-X. OPC UA provides the common modeling language and forms the basis for the secure, interoperable exchange of information across all levels of industrial and digital ecosystems."