Mr. Heinzer, what is the purpose of the demonstrator for the Industrial Internet of Things?

With our demonstrator, we use a simple and practical example to show the benefits of an IIoT infrastructure and how the end-to-end connectivity of this solution is ensured - from sensors in the field to PLC and edge computing to the cloud, including machine safety. We will also be presenting our innovations in use in a typical industrial environment.

You have chosen a practical example from intralogistics - why?

We chose this example because containers are transported in almost every production plant - so every trade fair visitor is familiar with this type of application. At our stand, a container filled with small parts and open at the top is moving on a conveyor belt. Two 3D cameras with time-of-flight technology are installed above the conveyor belt to complement our range of optoelectronics for sophisticated automation technology. One camera records the fill level of the open container, while the other monitors the centering of the container on the belt as a 'virtual tunnel'.

And how is the recorded data forwarded and evaluated?

The operational data is recorded by a PLC and the safety-related data by the 'Protect-PSC1' safety controller. They can be forwarded to an edge gateway via OPC UA and, if required, to a cloud infrastructure. This provides the user with a valid database for recording production-related KPIs, i.e. key performance indicators, and continuously optimizing production on this basis. A dashboard allows the information and analysis results to be presented clearly - we will also be demonstrating this at the trade fair.

Can you give an example of the specific benefits of such an IIoT solution?

The software can, for example, determine the ratio of good and bad parts or deviations from visually recordable standard values and display these values as KPIs or integrate them into higher-level KPIs. Typical indicators such as 'Overall Equipment Effectiveness', or OEE for short, can be easily recorded in this way. This creates transparency.

You mentioned new components for connectivity that you have installed in the demonstrator - what are they?

At the machine safety level, the data generated in the field is 'collected' by a safety field box - this is how many companies do it. Up to eight safety switching devices of different types can be easily wired with such a field box. In our demonstrator, we show one of the new variants that can communicate not only via Profinet/ Profisafe, but also via Ethernet/IP with CIP Safety and Ethercat with FSoE.

And at the automation technology level?

The demonstrator uses the SD-Bus functionalities of the 'Protect-PSC1' from Schmersal, which records and evaluates the diagnostics-relevant data of the safety switching devices. Of course, our new SD-Bus gateway can also be used for this purpose. We have integrated a web server and a microSD memory card into this gateway, with which the user can evaluate event logs live via a web interface and read out the complete diagnostic data of all connected safety switching devices in plain text in the browser. The diagnostic data can be transferred to the machine control system via various fieldbus protocols and solenoid interlocks and control panels can be controlled directly via the web interface. So here, too, end-to-end connectivity in the sense of IIoT!

Hall 9, Stand 460