With the rapid growth of Industry 4.0 applications, machine manufacturers are feeling pressure to provide shorter development time for advanced

machines with fewer personnel. The demand for utilizing real-time data to provide necessary information for operational decision-making is constantly

increasing. The keyword related to Industry 4.0 is connectivity (the connection between all participants in the production process), even in factories

where Industry 4.0 has not yet been applied. It is important for components or systems to be at least compatible with the requirements of Industry

4.0 and able to connect and communicate with internal and external networks.

Although it is easy to implement using new components, it is not realistic to replace all existing systems to ensure compatibility. This has led to the

development of various devices that provide at least basic connectivity to Industry 4.0 systems without affecting automation logic.

The development of transmission allows manufacturers to configure various functions through built-in technologies, which

eliminate the need for external PLCs, reflecting the changes made to the previous generation of transmission that provided

limited functionality. Image source: Bosch Rexroth

No external PLC required

Modern driving systems have sufficient intelligence to complete position displacement and speed control. The implementation

of these functions will be as simple as checking emails through a mobile phone. Another expectation brought by Industry 4.0 is

that the driving system can obtain data on machine functionality and performance, then configure the data and present it to

the outside world.

Advanced driver manufacturers can configure various functions through built-in technology, which eliminates the need for external

programmable logic controllers (PLCs). For example, the latest servo drives currently include the International Electrotechnical

Commission (IEC) 61131-3 programmable controller operating system. This reflects the changes made to the previous generation

drivers that provided limited functionality.

It will take some time to fully understand the meaning of these progressiveness in the drive, but today's intelligent drives are capable

of solving real-time control challenges, which is also a major aspect of Industry 4.0. Removing the PLC and directly entering the

driver can eliminate time intervals and optimize cycle time and product consistency.

Stay synchronized

Even if a drive system does contain certain problem-solving tools or functional blocks, it still faces the challenge of synchronizing

multiple movements on a machine. In cases where the bus system used is uncertain, a possible solution is to enable communication

between drivers without having to return to the central control system. This is also where deterministic bus systems like SERCOS III

are self-contained. A deterministic system is not a necessary prerequisite for applying Industry 4.0. The driver can store real-time data

and send it to the uplink system in a non deterministic manner.

Nowadays, there are various advanced tools available within the driver, so it is important to choose the right tool. The goal should be

to enable programming personnel from machine manufacturers without specific experience to access and use these features. It is

recommended to use PLC function blocks that have been tested and tested, which can be used in PLCs under the IEC 61131-3 standard,

and can even be combined with ladder logic programming.

There are various functional blocks available now, which can be selected according to the needs of each application. What they can do

includes collecting position information of products on conveyor belts, controlling winding machines, closed-loop registration control,

and even creating complete motion trajectories for horizontal cutting machines and cross sealing machines.

Create HMI

The Human Machine Interface (HMI) is another key component of Industry 4.0. In the past, creating interfaces for machines and

operators required the intervention of a central PLC and bus system, which was used to send critical machine settings and variables

to the driver. Before being displayed on the HMI, diagnostic and machine status information will be re imported into the PLC.

Although modern bus systems can accomplish this function, it may require a lot of programming work and may not be necessary

when the driver system contains all the required information. To address this issue, many driver systems include all the tools needed

to create an HMI. In some cases, a central PLC may not be necessary because the drive can use a full range of inputs and outputs, which

were usually connected to the PLC in the past.

The key factor that must be controlled is the time required to set up and debug the machine. Smart drives now offer many tools to reduce

startup time through optimized axis motion and process synchronization.

The design of these quick start tools allows the transmission to start in the early stages of machine debugging, even before the machine

control software is installed in the system. The result of this is that basic IT tools such as mobile phones or tablets can be used to quickly

and easily test the mechanical performance of the machine.

Helps maintain

Intelligent driving systems can participate in proactive maintenance strategies because they can be integrated with a complete set of

critical tools that can perform critical predictive maintenance functions during supply, minimizing additional programming workload.

This software can be set up to continuously monitor real-time machine performance status and process conditions. This includes waveform

analysis by analyzing temperature changes, as well as checking for recoil, increased friction, or process overload.

If a malfunction occurs, a code will be generated and sent to the HMI. If a critical issue is identified that requires the machine to stop running,

a decision can be made within the drive to minimize the risk of production losses and machine damage.

Industry 4.0 provides enhanced processing capabilities and improved functionality for intelligent transmission. This brings more opportunities

for manufacturing enterprises to optimize programming, production, and maintenance. Because in many cases, the demand for PLC has been

reduced or even eliminated, it is possible to create more advanced machines in a shorter amount of time.