zenon as cockpit of key figures for the Smart Factory

17-Mar-2016 - Germany

From 25-29 April, COPA-DATA will present scalable software solutions with zenon for vertical data integration for the Smart Factory at the Microsoft booth at the Hannover Messe. Here, both existing and new sensory Systems can be integrated seamlessly into an overall solution, right up to the cloud. Existing production equipment is thereby also made available in the cloud for industrial IoT scenarios and for cross-site analyses according to local data protection rules.

Customized products and flexible sales markets with concurrent complex production processes characterize modern industrial production. The solutions of the independent software developer for industrial automation allow bi-directional networking from the field level, to HMI/SCADA, right up to the cloud. The integration of zenon into the Microsoft Azure cloud platform enables access to all data from individual production sites of a company in just one system, in real time. Individual production lines can be better compared with one another and qualitative analyses be substantiated with quantitative data. This enables even existing equipment to generate a cost-effective value-added chain and a smart infrastructure, which thanks to zenon remains reliable, robust and scalable without restrictions. Based on the high level of connectivity of zenon, production companies implement applications to raise optimization potential and advance business model innovation. Applications range from company-wide dashboards and benchmarking, to energy data management, right up to predictive analytics for machine and production data.

Cross-site benchmarking with zenon

The integration of production data collected by zenon from one or more production sites with a cloud-based zenon application allows production managers to draw company-wide conclusions. Various sites and their equipment can be put in global comparison. This benchmarking has made previously untouched improvement potential in plant availability, efficiency and resource consumption possible. Additionally, the increased transparency of actual consumption offers improved quality management.
Optimization of increasingly flexible production processes requires also varied data evaluations within the software. The sensor and production data gathered by zenon can be used for conclusive analyses from zenon in the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. zenon thereby uses technology components such as the Azure Remote App, the Azure event hub, IoT hub as well as the IoT suite or even Windows 10 IoT and the Microsoft SQL server 2016.
zenon can be integrated into existing, heterogeneous production environments and, thanks to its over 300 communication protocols, can be incorporated in an industrial IoT scenario, existing automation components and new sensory system. “Industrial IoT, the main driver of Industry 4.0 and Smart Factories, now offers the possibility of developing substantial competitive advantages, and thereby leads the way to innovation. By using the Microsoft cloud platform Azure and their tailored IoT services, COPA-DATA has zenon in their portfolio as the innovative solution for production companies in the industrial automation area”, says Jürgen Mayrbäurl, Business Evangelist Azure & Business Manager at Microsoft Austria.
The zenon cloud solution integrates different systems, acts as a cockpit for key figures and allows analyses based on real-time and historical data. Evaluations of data from individual production sites are of course still possible. Additional Big Data tools supplement scenarios and can be used for further analyses.

New cloud framework for sensitive production data

Microsoft has set a new course for companies that have until now not critically considered the topic of cloud when it comes to their production data. In cooperation with a national data trustee of the Microsoft Cloud all customer data can be made available in national data processing centers and thereby within the respective prevailing local legal system. Only customers and their data trustee can have access to their data. Microsoft can now only retrieve customer data with consent and under supervision of the data trustee or the customer. The local cloud offering covers the high level of national demand for information security, compliance, server location and provider credibility. Companies that previously avoided the step to the cloud, due to data security or compliance issues, are now given new opportunities. Solutions with zenon in connection to cloud computing are thereby shifting – also legally – into the phase of feasibility for many mid-sized and large companies.

Energy Data Management with zenon

The zenon Energy Data Management System (EDMS) fulfills all necessary requirements for comprehensive energy management: With the solution companies can measure, record, collect, analyze and process all operational energy and consumption data. zenon also supports when displaying different types of data – from key performance indicators, energy analyses, trend curves, alarm message lists and events, right up to complex graphical reports. Furthermore, the software offers industrially proven archiving technologies for storage and open interfaces for redistributing the information. zenon EDMS also conforms to the defined requirements of the TÜV SÜD “Certified Energy Data Management” standard. The software thereby fulfills important criteria for the international energy standard ISO 50001 and enables the end user to gain a certification. When zenon is used as an EDMS in combination with Microsoft Azure it also allows for company-wide energy data management across numerous sites.

Predictive Analytics with zenon

Additionally, COPA-DATA can help companies find out more on the topic of Predictive Analytics at this year's Hannover Messe. With the help of Predictive Analytics companies can predict complex production synergies and use these findings to make well-founded decisions. In production companies Predictive Analytics can be used in areas such as maintenance or production and consumption analyses. For maintenance issues the goal is to minimize the number of machine downtimes and to reach maximum equipment availability. In correlation with Partner technologies, COPA-DATA's solutions collect required data from production environments. These can then be interpreted using algorithms from the machine learning area. Patterns can thereby be identified and the learned knowledge can be returned to production management then.

https://www.yumda.com/en/news/1147515/zenon-as-cockpit-of-key-figures-for-the-smart-factory.html