Design and implementation of an interactive networked condition monitoring strategy for plant-wide production equipment toward Industry 4.0

Abstract

Equipment condition monitoring holds immense significance in modern industrial factories, facilitating sustained operation with heightened efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness. This paper presents an interactive networked condition monitoring strategy to enhance plant-wide production equipment condition monitoring, leveraging networked control and edge computing approaches. This strategy offers a rapid and efficient solution that comprises four key components: drag-and-drop monitoring algorithm design, executable program generation, networked algorithm implementation, and interactive monitoring process. Initially, algorithms for equipment condition monitoring are designed using pre-defined components and then seamlessly compiled into executable programs with a single click. Subsequently, these algorithms are implemented within an edge computing-based monitoring system using the networked control approach, where the generated programs are remotely deployed into edge nodes positioned adjacent to the equipment. Moreover, the monitoring process features visual displays of parameters and results using configurable widgets, enabling interactive adjustments. Real-world application cases from an aluminum manufacturing factory showcase the strategy’s effectiveness in comprehensive condition monitoring of hundreds of equipment across nine workshops, significantly reducing the equipment inspection time to tens of minutes compared to manual inspection. With extensive implementation in various industrial factories, this strategy emerges as a promising solution for equipment condition monitoring in smart factories.