Integration of Logic Controller with IoT to Form a Manufacturing Edge Computing Environment: A Premise

Abstract

Communication latency and large amount of sensing data hinder the application of IoT in smart manufacturing when cloud computing is in association with the IoT applications. Recent concept of edge computing try to resolve the problem, because the edge of the network can handle the data locally and respond timely. Edge computing enables IoT automation in the manufacturing control. However, in reality, there is still a gap to transform from traditional hierarchical ISA-95 control architecture to IoT automation.To reduce the gap problem, this research first introduces a 5-level architecture for smart manufacturing, which includes equipment layer, connection layer, conversion layer, cognition and knowledge layer, and application layer. This research develops a premise of Smart Control Box (SCB). Each SCB include a PLC, a Micro Control Unit (MCU), and a single board computer.By wiring IoT with MCU (Micro Control Unit) to the PLC and install the intelligence on the single board computer, we can realize intelligent manufacturing without changing the manufacturing operations in situ. However, SCB can provide further guidance and advices, because the data collected from the equipment layer is learned in the cognition and knowledge layer to assist the operations on equipment layer, e.g., preventive maintenance. Further, the application layer can supervise the control of the operations in the equipment layer when MCU can take place of PLC.The design premise of SCB in this research can help transform the manufacturing automation from Industry 3.0 to Industry 4.0. The intelligence can be installed in the single computer board as a function of edge computing while not changing the settings on the existing PLCs. However, functionalities of the edge computing for smart manufacturing should be recognized from the proposed 5-level architecture.