It's a common assumption that integration between a plant floor and an enterprise system must happen within the application layer called MES. While integrating automation and IT systems via MES has been the chosen path for many manufacturers, there is another way that bypasses what can become a confusing array of application programming interfaces. The alternative solution, called device-to-IT connectivity, relies on an automation appliance to bring data from controllers directly into the enterprise.
Of course, data must be managed and directed toward the right applications, and that's where a service-oriented architecture (SOA) comes in. This approach may appear simple, but it is actually a bit complicated. For example, where does one buy an SOA-based automation appliance that will meet industry-specific needs? Well, if you are in the automotive industry, take a look at what IBM, Mitsubishi Electric Corp., and ILS Technology LLC are doing.
In January, the trio announced an automotive reference architecture that combines Mitsubishi's iQ Automation programmable automation controller embedded with ILS Technology's deviceWISE connectivity software with a connectivity interface called MX MES Interface IT and IBM's SOA.
The ILS technology embedded within Mitsubishi devices acts as an on-ramp into IBM's WebSphere middleware, which, through the SOA, can then serve up content to the appropriate enterprise application. This two-tier delivery method "eliminates the middle tiers to get source data into the consumption zone," says Fred Yentz, chief operating officer of ILS Technology.
The ILS technology is the key ingredient for direct connectivity. And while it is innovative, it is not brand new. ILS, which originated as a development group within IBM's e-manufacturing solutions division, was spun off as a separate entity in 1999. The data connectivity technology that ILS designed includes a collection of device-specific drivers and protocol handlers. It also includes security policies and a logic engine to convert data to usable information. The product, called deviceWISE, is a vendor-neutral technology. While the company has a formal partnership with Mitsubishi, it can work with devices from Rockwell Automation, Siemens, Schneider Electric, GE Fanuc, and Omron. To that end, it is also application-independent.
Many vendors, IBM included, are using MES as the integration point. IBM has an alliance with Rockwell that leverages Rockwell's Logix control technology and FactoryTalk ProductionCentre software suite. The alliance started in the automotive industry and expanded into the pharmaceutical industry last summer.
IBM continues to honor that relationship; however, the company realizes that manufacturers require different approaches to meet departmental needs.
"We are looking at it from a process standpoint versus an application standpoint," says David Petrucci, IBM's director of the Industrial Sector Solutions Software Group. "From the IT side, we have requests to simplify and align with investments made at the IT level. From a data acquisition standpoint, we can make it much cleaner, reduce risk, and reduce cost."
In addition, there's a lot of opportunity beyond simple connectivity to do more with the logic at the device layer, Petrucci says. For example, IBM's Maximo asset management software could be pushed down to the devices for predictive maintenance.
So if the direct connect is so easy, why hasn't it become the de facto standard for integrating the shop to the top?
"It depends on the depth and breadth of what you trying to do," says Craig Resnick, an analyst with ARC Advisory Group. "We find many users have specific information that they want to move up from the factory floor to the enterprise. An automation appliance is simple to use, relatively inexpensive, and easy to manage. So, for dedicated movement of information, users seem to be happy [with this approach]. But if you need an intermediary step to put data into a historian or do a quality calculation, the production management suite makes sense."
In fact, Resnick notes that he is seeing more environments that use both an automation appliance and an MES. Indeed, IBM still sees a need for an MES. "This just makes it more flexible," Petrucci says.
It also protects manufacturers' existing investments. "It's future-proofing," says Trayton Jay, director of special projects at Mitsubishi. Companies may already have standardized processes in place, which may make it difficult to add a new application layer or change the environment. But just adding a new data transport could add a lot of value, he says.
The reference architecture developed by Mitsubishi, ILS, and IBM was built for the automotive industry because the idea originated from a common customer they had. However, it is flexible enough to be transferred to industries outside of automotive, which they will do in the future, the group said.
This article originally appeared in the March 2008 issue of Managing Automation.