Companies want smart, integrated systems. But integration requires realistic goals, planning, and technology choices. . .and in the end, robust and reliable systems and components that connect smoothly.

Martyn Jones, director of systems planning and partnerships at Schneider Electric Automation Business, tells IEN: "Two economic demands from manufacturers are dictating developments in the automation industry today. First, new technologies must contribute to achieving high-level business objectives. Second, they must accommodate and extend the life of legacy equipment."

These imperatives are "driving users toward a new automation system architecture that can support enterprise-wide operations, enable collaboration and capture and dispense process knowledge wherever it is required throughout the enterprise," Jones continues. "That's why the industrial world is moving inexorably to industrial Ethernet and the Internet, two of the key enabling technologies available today to help manufacturers integrate their factory floor and business systems." (For more, click here.)

"The problem with the IA market is there are lots of proprietary protocols," notes Joel Young, vp of device server products at Digi International, Inc. "Many times, specific vendors, companies or industry specific foundations, may feature protocols that appear open, but they are in fact driven by their sponsoring company. Examples include Profibus, Ethernet/IP and Modbus/TCP. To be a player in today's marketplace, companies have to develop protocols that are interoperable with the leading vendors. If this approach isn't followed, servers won't be able to communicate."

As for robustness, redundancy and "alternate power devices" hold the key, Young contends. "For example, Digi One IA is connected by standard power and Ethernet power IEEE 802.3AF." (For more, click here.)

"Because of good collaboration to meet user needs, we're seeing the development of common protocols and specifications to allow for interconnectivity of networks and devices," states Dave Quebbemann, industrial automation marketing manager at Omron Electronics. "Manufacturers see the value of bringing this connectivity to the user. It makes it easier for the user by minimizing the need for the user to make custom drivers." (For more, click here.)

David Erath, CEO at Selltis, sees a clear solution to the maze of proprietary protocols: extend the reach of the Internet to the industrial space. "From the plant floor to the field, personnel will be equipped with wireless offerings to drive industrial sales and other processes across borders, from any location," he says. Selltis offers "offline hosting" where "industrial sales teams can access and document information from within their sales applications from any location, connecting to the main server via the Internet only when convenient to synchronize data directly to their desktop or laptop -- all through a secure, firewall-protected link. As a result, they can effectively manage prospects and even close sales whether they are in the office, or in the field." (For more, click here.)

According to Don Holley, industrial automation manager at National Instruments: "Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software are being used to replace many proprietary systems and networks when the COTS components meet the necessary requirements for the intended industrial application and environment." Today's Ethernet networks do not meet all the requirements for replacing all industrial device networks. Holley continues: "For example Ethernet switches that have been adapted for industrial use are typically 'hardened,' meaning that the device has higher temperature and shock/vibration ratings than equivalent office grade hardware, and are typically designed to be DIN rail or surface mounted in a cabinet. Otherwise, an industrially hardened Ethernet switch functions the same as the COTS hardware you would purchase for your office or home at Best Buy." (For more, click here.)

"We are much closer to a plug-and-play environment today," states Chuck Edwards, vp of commercial marketing at Rockwell Components Packaged Applications Group. Decentralization of control "translates into flexibility," he continues, making devices "more straightforward to design -- it's a standard design approach -- and easier to maintain. If the device gets damaged, it's a quick disconnect and replace." The DeviceNet network "recognizes what that device is and downloads the parameters back to the device and puts it right back into operation so you get quick turnaround -- that delivers value to the customer." Software-based control significantly cuts installation and start-up time. Edwards notes that one customer reduced its typical startup time from 240 to eight man-hours using Rockwell's Intellicenter.

Industry is turning to Ethernet, notes Todd R. Berner, national automation sales manager at Ramco Innovations. "Vendors will utilize Ethernet much more in the future -- it allows the most flexible and robust solution for I/O and communications. . .nothing else I see on the horizon will outperform Ethernet in either the price or performance arena." (For more, click here.)

Scalability is critical "in migrating to an Ethernet-enabled architecture," Jones says. "The functionality required depends on a customer's need for interoperability. [Our] Transparent Factory's functionality is packaged in the form of tiered service offerings that relate to both web services and communications services. Service implementation classes range from basic interoperability over MODBUS TCP/IP to web-enabled distributed control and IT. . .Tiering service offerings and the cost associated with them in this fashion allows for a low entry cost into a Transparent Factory architecture, much of which is free due to its reliance on the commercial Internet."

Increased dependence on resusable 3D solid models has led to demand for a common "data format which can seamlessly move across third party automation systems," adds Chris Garcia, vp of R & D at SolidWorks. ACIS and Parasolid "are becoming the defacto 3D model format," he contends.

Next generation software will feature "intelligent design features that morph themselves from features created at 3D design time to features needed for efficient manufacturing, to features required for in-process and final process inspection, to assembly features that drive the order and methods for automated part assembly," says Garcia. (For more, click here.)

Control vendors such as MDSI build in flexibility and robustness from the beginning. "Many companies started with a technology and tried to add an appendage to it -- and it looks like an appendage," comments Jim Fall, president and co-founder of MDSI. "It doesn't really give the robustness, the openness, and the flexibility."

Fall believes "there's a tremendous opportunity out there in terms of what's happening above the device." The OpenCNC serves as a "platform for integrating other software products, systems, and peripherals. . .with that machine tool sitting on the network and broadcasting data across the network to enterprise applications, now you have the opportunity to do real time plant and manufacturing simulations." (For more, click here.)

Nels Tyring, founder/CEO of systems integrator TVC Systems sees "smart sensors and smart final control elements that take control down to the lowest possible level. The ultimate DCS of a sort." (For more, click here.)

Adds Clark Richter, business development manager at Intermec: "We will see more and more solutions offer the flexibility of mixed solution content. By that I mean that we will see more cross-over devices like [Intermec's] Model 700 that are used for multiple applications within the same environment." He believes that the use of Bluetooth will expand the scope of such solutions. Wireless machine interfaces, data collection, and mobile communication devices will "act as a wireless voice handset on the backbone with a connection back to the corporate PBX," Richter adds. (Pictured, wireless LAN from Intermec.) (For more, click here.)

PDAs, mobile phones, tablet PCs, and related devices will gain a stronger foothold on the plant floor, according to Mark Davidson, vp of ArchestrA marketing at Invensys. He expects these products to "deliver information to where it is needed and when it is needed. From a software integration point of view, the [Invesys] ArchestrA software architecture ensures that deep integration and common operational and engineering practices are maintained -- with much less effort than past approaches." With a hierarchical application object approach, "all applications work in the same way, share common information, and build from each other," Davidson explains. (For more, click here.)

"SYSPRO has always concentrated on integration as a key success factor in successful ERP," notes Harold Katz, technology-enabling manager at SYSPRO. "As a result ERP, CRM, APS, WMS and e-commerce are all integral components. . .The real innovation is centered on the abilities of current IS managers to identify and effectively utilize the technology and think outside the box to take advantage of it." (For more, click here.)

The Internet plays an increasing role in integrated systems. "I believe we are moving quickly toward a plant floor environment where every device will be visible via the web," says John Dyck, vp of marketing and business development at EMT, who foresees a time when devices will be configured, controlled, and maintained online. (For more, click here.)

Verification is another hot spot. Agilent EE Program Manager Chris Meuth says that "R & D engineers spend up to 70% of their time doing verification of their designs. . .there is lots of focus on reducing risk and providing verification earlier in the design cycle." (For more, click here.)

Companies now seek "interoperability between their measurement and control devices, systems and industrial networks used on the plant-floor and upper-level enterprise applications," Holley observes. "Industry standards like OPC Data Access (OPC DA) provide a seamless way to integrate manufacturing software with plant floor measurement and control systems and networks."

An HTML-based solution may be within grasp in the next year or so. RAMCO is developing such a product. "There are already some solutions on the market [with] a very expensive price tag, but this price will be decreasing greatly over the next two years," comments Berner.

Security issues are soluble. "There is no substitute for good networking practices," Davidson notes. This includes "ensuring that plant networks are isolated from Internet accessible networks, locking down to known applications running on your mission critical plant computers, up to date virus scanning, clear policies and procedures for introducing and backing up software. Even if the workstations that supervise the plant are compromised, embedded controllers and I/O are the bottom line defense in providing continuous operation."

Lean principles infuse these systems. Explains Tyring: "Integration is not process. It is control of process. Process engineers need to design lean/flexible systems. Integration of those systems will follow." Berner warns that companies must "keep their maintenance staff out of their controllers. The guy with a hammer and a crowbar should not be messing around inside the brain of a $250,000 to $5,000,000 machine."

Meanwhile, the plant floor is being tied into the overall enterprise. Young tells IEN that the "big barrier is the MRP systems driving financial systems, which don't communicate with each other." He points to XML and web services as keys to interoperability.

In Cramer's view, open, web-enabled plant technologies "pave the way for integration front office, back office and logistics operations." Once devices are connected through Ethernet, they can plug into the Internet and high-speed networks "to feed essential information to other parts of the enterprise," Cramer continues. "While many manufacturers have implemented Internet-enabled technologies in their most profitable facilities, they have neglected to adopt such technologies in others. These antiquated facilities cannot be remotely monitored, nor can they be connected to enterprise applications that manage production and delivery. This not only handicaps certain plants, but it also prevents business managers from seeing the whole picture when making strategic decisions."

Given the increasing sophistication of technology, how can companies maintain legacy equipment as part of integrated systems, in the spirit of the lean enterprise?

"It's not going to be easy," Garcia warns. "Companies might need to look at purchasing machine tools and other industrial equipment the way they look at purchasing PCs today. Today, people buy PCs knowing that in 3-5 years they will buy its replacement. People can justify this purchasing scenario because of the 10-fold improvement they gain in speed and usability by making that second purchase down the road."

According to Young, "Companies that currently still retain legacy systems need to integrate a variety of protocols and solutions that can increase programming ability and allow companies to manage locations remotely. For true interoperability companies must convert their systems into a true OPC and OPC DX device."

Richter brings up another possible solution: "The answer may lie in leasing or benefit use agreements," he says. Under such arrangements users "can get technology, and application upgrades when the lease term cycles. The manufacturer of the equipment and the solution provider have predictive schedules for these upgrades, and can also benefit by tapping the user to see what new features or functionality might be required with future devices, and application solutions."

Manufacturers will not simply discard capital equipment to take advantage of new technology. Fall points to a "natural progression of either replacing or upgrading legacy or the installed base of manufacturing technology or capacity. . .In the United States there's upwards of 5 million machines installed in manufacturing operations. They're not going to go out and replace all of those next year so they can go sit on the network. Now they will go off and say, 'How do I upgrade those machines, how do I protect my investment in those machines, how do I extend the productive life of those machines and put them on the network? And make them part of the integrated enterprise?'"

Adds Cramer: "Obsolete hardware, difficult programming environments, missing documentation, and an absence of technical support make it tempting to abandon lean manufacturing in the quest to support legacy equipment. Companies who don't try to support the legacy equipment in house, but instead work with an outside firm that has expertise in working with the particular legacy system in question, can reap the benefits of experience, documentation and even a source of spare parts."