GENERATIONAL PROBLEM: HOW YOUNG AND OLD GET ON WELL WITH EACH OTHER

MICA® enables data exchange between machine generations

 

Differing machine generations make it difficult to design an integrated digital manufacturing world. Varying sensor generations mean that machinery installed over different eras either does not provide digital data, or only does so to a negligible or partial extent. When it comes to production planning and control, an inconsistent flow of information is a real brake on productivity – that is, if MICA® was not available.

 

MICA® endows machines with intelligence

 

In a traditional manufacturing environment, valid online data for the preparation of key figures are only available in fragmentary form or with a great deal of manual effort. As a result, the operation of systems and facilities in a cost-efficient manner is almost like flying blind. Consequently, a uniform level of communication is required which makes it possible to read machine data. This is exactly what the HARTING MICA® (Modular Industry Computing Architecture) does. Digitisation projects can be implemented quickly and easily, directly on systems and machines.

 

Machine-to-machine communication

 

An important step towards more efficiency and towards Industry 4.0 is machine-to-machine communication via the HARTING MICA®. The integration of distributed services creates added value and improves the flow of information within the application landscape.

 

MICA® software architecture

The software architecture of the MICA® covers all production levels. At the "Field Connectivity" level, it integrates different data sources, e.g. actuators in production.

Via "Storage and Processing" the MICA® ensures local data processing, in other words distributed data storage, and at the level of backend connectivity it creates the connection to other systems, as in ERP or MES or Cloud services.

 

Future-ready:

• Investment protection of existing systems with the accompanying benefit of digital production.
• Control via key figures in heterogeneous machinery as well
   

For future decision-makers of Manufacturing 4.0

• Strategic migration towards Manufacturing 4.0
• MICA® connects sensor-independent manufacturing machinery for the exchange of production data (in-house and across locations)
• Continuous flow of information in production despite heterogeneous machines
• Implementation of the Integrated Industry approach

Author :

Dr. Lutz Tröger

Director Technology, HARTING IT Software Development