The SMITZH 'OI4 Demonstrator'
Interoperability in Industry 4.0
Companies and organizations pursuing smart manufacturing face a common challenge: interoperability of hardware, software and data flows between factory operators, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and users.
The integration and optimization of asset management and production are made complex by the variety of protocols, OEMs, IIoT/Industry 4.0 software vendors and OT/IT service providers.
The Open Industry 4.0 Alliance
To support the integration and adoption of Industry 4.0, the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance (OI4) brings together leaders in engineering, industrial automation, software, hardware and service industries to collaborate and deliver interoperable end-to-end solutions.
The Alliance has released the OI4 guidelines for developers to deliver interoperable software and devices, using standards and focused on implementation! These guidelines provide a common way to communicate device data, diagnostics and prognostics easily, openly, effectively and efficiently, parallel to the traditional automation pyramid – from the devices in the field, from the shop floor to the cloud.
The SMITZH OI4 demonstrator
A group of international and leading industry and education partners, supported by Innovation Quarter as part of the SMITZH program, worked on the 'OI4 Demonstrator', located in the Flow Center of Excellence in the Sustainability Factory in Dordrecht.
Following the OI4 development guidelines, a digital ecosystem for asset and process management applications was created that supports plug-and-play and generic access to data in the industry. The installation consists of devices, instruments and sensors (e.g. pumps, flow meters, valves, temperature and pressure sensors) from different manufacturers and ages. Diagnostic data from these devices is collected and analyzed to plan maintenance and prevent failures and/or malfunctions at an early stage.
The setup allows for easy connection of new equipment and devices.
Demonstrator consortium
The Demonstrator Consortium consists of OI4 members and non-members, formed by UReason, Pepperl&Fuchs, Flow Center of Excellence, Samson, M&M Software, Krohne, CodeWrights, da Vinci College, Sustainability Factory and FOCUS-ON.
Advantages
The demonstrator will assess whether compliance with the OI4 publications provides feasible and improved interoperability when onboarding devices/sensors in the process industry and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of following the OI4 guidelines.
The project shows the industry how to simplify the control between devices. OEMs can test the behavior of their equipment, instrumentation and processes in a real installation.
Prize winners!
On December 3, 2021, the Demonstrator won the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance Implementation Award 2021The project convinced the jury by the fact that OI4 members and non-members developed a joint solution that can be used directly by end customers and is not just a showcase and quickly forgotten.
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