Connectivity as a Design Feature for Industry 4.0 Production Equipment: Application for the Development of an In-Line Metrology System

Ana Pamela Castro-Martin,Maria F Márquez-Alderete,Pedro D Urbina Coronado,Pedro A Orta Castañon,Horacio Ahuett-Garza,Thomas R Kurfess,Emilio González De Castilla,Darío Guamán-Lozada

doi:10.3390/app11031312

Abstract

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is built upon the capabilities of Internet of Things technologies that facilitate the recollection and processing of data. Originally conceived to improve the performance of manufacturing facilities, the field of application for I4.0 has expanded to reach most industrial sectors. To make the best use of the capabilities of I4.0, machine architectures and design paradigms have had to evolve. This is particularly important as the development of certain advanced manufacturing technologies has been passed from large companies to their subsidiaries and suppliers from around the world. This work discusses how design methodologies, such as those based on functional analysis, can incorporate new functions to enhance the architecture of machines. In particular, the article discusses how connectivity facilitates the development of smart manufacturing capabilities through the incorporation of I4.0 principles and resources that in turn improve the computing capacity available to machine controls and edge devices. These concepts are applied to the development of an in-line metrology station for automotive components. The impact on the design of the machine, particularly on the conception of the control, is analyzed. The resulting machine architecture allows for measurement of critical features of all parts as they are processed at the manufacturing floor, a critical operation in smart factories. Finally, this article discusses how the I4.0 infrastructure can be used to collect and process data to obtain useful information about the process.

Highlights

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is a term introduced by the German government to label the convergence of technologies such as the Internet of Things Things (IoT), Cyberphysical Systems (CPS), and Cloud Computing in the new generation of industrial systems [1]
In the manufacturing environment envisioned by the concept of I4.0, the vast amount of data that is collected from the shop floor can be transported and analyzed to provide information that is used to monitor and control operations
We propose that the Galil controller (GC) can be considered an edge device because it performs functions beyond data acquisition tasks

Summary

Introduction

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is a term introduced by the German government to label the convergence of technologies such as the Internet of Things Things (IoT), Cyberphysical Systems (CPS), and Cloud Computing in the new generation of industrial systems [1]. In the manufacturing environment envisioned by the concept of I4.0, the vast amount of data that is collected from the shop floor can be transported and analyzed to provide information that is used to monitor and control operations. Intended as a strategy for the manufacturing sector, it has been adopted by other industries such as energy and transportation, where reliability and safety are of paramount importance [3]. The infrastructure that has been developed to support the (IoT) is the means to handle and process the data. The new Information and Communication Technologies that will provide a platform for the deployment of I4.0 have been an important topic of research [1]

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Discussion

Conclusion