April 2019

27 www.drivesncontrols.com April 2019 INDUSTRY 4.0 n two sheet-steel lines dedicated to producing enclosures of different sizes. A major innovation in the production technology is the use of laser processing machines instead of traditional presses. Unlike presses, which can take more than half an hour to change from one set-up to the next, the laser systems can change immediately from one design to another. They are also quieter and optimise the use of the steel in each coil. The 70m-long line for larger enclosures (200-400mm high) operates with a cycle time of 24 seconds. It includes four bending centres, followed by four ABB laser welding robots which can weld a box in seven seconds. The second line for smaller (150-200mm high) enclosures has twice as many welding robots and can process parts in 11 seconds. At the end of each line, a robotic stacker system either sends the enclosures to a temporary store for later retrieval, or sends them directly to the paint line. The decision whether to paint an enclosure immediately or not, depends on the status of the production orders. Software simulations can be used to decide how best to arrange shifts. The painting line is the largest in the factory, starting on the ground floor and moving to the upper level. Paint colours can be changed in just 18 seconds. Adding doors to the enclosures is being done by hand at present. At the end of the production process, QR codes are applied to the individual enclosure assemblies, allowing them to be identified and traced uniquely, as well as facilitating further processing by users. Rather than using full carboard boxes, the enclosures are being packaged using pairs of material- saving cardboard “lids” at either end. These are held together by tapes that can be cut quickly to unpack the enclosure. The packaged enclosures are manipulated by further robots. The site’s machines and handling systems will communicate with each other and with higher-level control systems via Industry 4.0- capable communication networks supporting OPC UA. Materials and components will be moved automatically around the plant by a fleet of 20 AGVs (automated guided vehicles). Knowledge-based “learning” systems will enable predictive maintenance, preventing faults from occurring and minimising downtime. The finished enclosures will be marked, packed and transferred to the new distribution centre automatically. Automated order management and fulfilment will guarantee that standard products and accessories are available from the distribution centre, creating an end-to-end digital process chain, from configuration by the customer, to eventual shipment of the end-product. The new era of manufacturing will also usher in major changes for the Haiger site’s 290 human workers – about 25% fewer than were needed previously. There will perform fewer strenuous manual tasks, such as lifting and carrying. Instead, their focus will shift to controlling, monitoring and fine-tuning the manufacturing processes. Rittal is enhancing the workers’ digital skills through training courses held at its Loh Academy. It has already spent more than €1m on retraining the workforce. “The expertise and capabilities of experienced employees are one of the keys to the success of smart factories: systems can only learn and gain intelligence if they are taught systematically by humans,” explains Professor Friedhelm Loh, owner and CEO of the Friedhelm Loh Group, of which Rittal is a subsidiary (along with ePlan and Cideon). Rittal says that the new technologies at the Haiger site will improve the working environment. The facility will be quiet, clean and energy-efficient. Waste heat from the new paint shop will be recovered and reused – to degrease components or to heat the factory halls, for example. Efficient use of water was also a high priority when designing the plant. Process water will be cleaned and reused in a closed-loop system. Rittal is using the Haiger facility as a pilot project for the real-world implementation of Industry 4.0, and it will act as a role model for future upgrades to Rittal’s operations around the globe. “It’s a template for the rest of the world,” says Loh. The site will also serve as a reference for Rittal’s own products and services in terms of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). For example, the company is using its Blue e+ cooling systems to enhance energy efficiency and has integrated them into the site’s monitoring and energy management systems via IIoT. Similarly, the new factory’s production systems will generate continuous actionable data on their status. In future, this information will be collected by an on-site edge data centre and analysed using applications developed by Rittal’s sister company, Innovo. Professor Loh believes that the new factory will“safeguard future competitiveness for our customers and our own business…We have quite consciously decided to proactively shape the future with the local people who made us what we are today.” n The automated painting line can change colours in 18 seconds. Workers are using screens instead of welding goggles to monitor production at the Haiger plant