Plastic extrusion is a complex process that requires precise control and monitoring of numerous parameters in order to efficiently produce high-quality products. In my view, in the era of Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), open communication between machines, sensors and control systems plays a crucial role. This is where OPC UA with its companion specs, such as EUROMAP84, comes into play.
What is OPC-UA?
OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture) is a platform-independent, service-oriented communication standard for secure and reliable data exchange in industrial automation. Unlike its predecessor, OPC Classic, OPC UA is not limited to the Windows operating system and offers a uniform architecture for communication between different devices and software applications. When defining the standard, a strong focus was placed on secure communication and encryption. This is one of the reasons why OPC UA is the right choice when it comes to future-proof and open communication standards.
Current status and development of OPC UA
OPC UA has established itself as the de facto standard for industrial communication in recent years and is supported by a wide range of manufacturers and organizations. The OPC Foundation, which is responsible for developing and maintaining the standard, is continuously working to expand and improve OPC UA to meet the needs of modern industry.
Current developments include:
- OPC UA over TSN (Time Sensitive Networking): This extension enables deterministic communication over Ethernet networks, which is essential for time-critical applications in automation technology.
- OPC UA PubSub (Publish-Subscribe): This model enables efficient communication in distributed systems by no longer querying data cyclically, but sending it directly to the recipients when changes occur.
- OPC UA Companion Specifications: These specifications define standardized information models for specific industries and use cases to improve interoperability between different systems. The relevant example for our industry is EUROMAP84.
- EUROMAP (European Plastics and Rubber Machinery): Connection of open interfaces and information models: In particular, in conjunction with EUROMAP, new potential is emerging in the plastics industry. By developing so-called companion specifications, EUROMAP defines standardized information models for plastics and rubber machines based on OPC UA. This ensures interoperability between machines from different manufacturers and facilitates seamless integration into existing systems. The use of standardized information models also facilitates the implementation of central recipe and order management systems (e.g. MES) as well as automated production documentation.
OPC UA in plastics extrusion: importance and growth potential
Plastics extrusion benefits greatly from the advantages of OPC UA. By using OPC UA, machine manufacturers, plant operators and software providers can achieve seamless integration of different systems, resulting in greater efficiency, productivity and quality.
Concrete applications of OPC UA in plastic extrusion are:
- Data collection and analysis: OPC UA enables the collection of process data from various sources, such as temperature, pressure and flow sensors, and their transmission to higher-level systems for analysis and optimization.
- Machine monitoring and maintenance: OPC UA can be used to monitor machine health and detect anomalies to avoid unplanned downtime and optimize maintenance intervals.
- Recipe management and control: OPC UA enables the central management of production recipes and their transmission to the machines to ensure consistent product quality.
- Secure communication:
The growth potential of OPC UA in plastics extrusion is enormous. As the industry becomes increasingly digitalised and automated, the demand for open, standardised and secure communication solutions will continue to grow. OPC UA is ideally positioned to meet these requirements and form the backbone of digital transformation in plastics extrusion.
OPC UA Server: The heart of OPC UA communication
An OPC server is a software component that collects data from a machine, sensor or other device and makes this data accessible to other applications via OPC UA. OPC servers play a central role in OPC UA communication as they bridge the gap between the physical world and the digital world.
Advantages of open interfaces in plastic extrusion
Open interfaces such as OPC UA offer numerous advantages for plastics extrusion:
- Flexibility: Open interfaces enable easy integration of devices and software from different manufacturers, increasing choice and reducing dependence on individual providers.
- Innovation: Open interfaces promote competition and innovation because they make it easier for new providers to enter the market and offer new solutions.
- Future security: Open interfaces are generally more future-proof because they are not tied to specific technologies or manufacturers and can be more easily adapted to new developments.
Conclusion
OPC UA is a powerful and versatile communication standard that drives digital transformation in plastics extrusion. By using OPC UA, companies can increase their efficiency, productivity and quality while benefiting from the advantages of open and secure interfaces. OPC UA in conjunction with EUROMAP84 is an indispensable tool for plastics extrusion in the age of Industry 4.0 and IIoT.
Our iDOO products and services are consistently based on open standards and we are actively working to create transparency in the entire production process.
I hope I was able to explain the relevance of OPC UA and EUROMAP for plastic extrusion. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.
Yours, Timo Brenningmeyer