Integration of Operation Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) Through Intelligent Automation in Manufacturing Industries

Abstract

The results of integrating OT and IT in Manufacturing Industries are Increase in Productivity, Reduction in Waste, Savings in Labor and Energy and Better Maintenance. The convergence of IT and OT in IoT has been going on for a while and there isn’t a strict division between them in the real world. Traditionally, IT is responsible for creating, storing and securing an organization’s data. At the same time, OT focuses primarily on processes that take place in the physical world-think managing productivity, people, and machinery. There are Pre Design Phases and Final Design Phases for Implementation of the Integration process. Under the Pre Design Phases, Identify the types of Assets in Industrial Zone and those that support Production and then Identify “Who” owns the hardware and software in the asset. In the final Phases of implementation we have: Requirements Phase: Interview all the system owners to gather requirements for operations, configuration and maintenance. Architectural Phase: Produce High level documentation and drawings to meet every requirement. Technical Design Phase: Produce detailed documentation such as drawings, switch configuration and VLAN, IP Address and Firewall ACLs. Implementation Phase: VERIFY “was the product built right?” and VALIDATE “was the right product built?” process. Maintain Phase: Modify configurations and assets to fix anomalies or required operational changes. The Intelligent Automation is Transforming Manufacturing Processes. The explosive growth of the cloud has made on – demand processing more accessible, more efficient and relatively lower cost. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) tools use Cognitive capabilities will replace those that don’t. There are several obvious benefits of automation that can be found in various automation projects as primary positive results. Among others, they include: #Cost Reduction #Higher Accuracy #Increased focus on core competencies #Improved productivity #Better compliance #Creating New jobs #Reducing Employee turnover. Three types of automation in production can be distinguished: 1. Fixed automation, 2. Programmable automation, and 3. Flexible automation. In many industries IT and OT convergence already happens since quite some time (Oil and Gas is just one of the many). Utilities are realizing that to reap the full benefits of advanced metering and smart grid systems, IT and OT must work together. The convergence of IT and OT is about systems, standards and a new way of thinking. We are in the start of Industry 4.0, the industrial internet, cyber – physical systems and evolutions in areas and markets such as Building Management systems, smart metering and critical power.