November/December 2019

41 www.drivesncontrols.com November/December 2019 PLCs, HMIs AND SOFTWARE n OT-IT convergence: an idea whose time has come? I n a paper published in 1982 by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the authors proposed a new control system architecture for use in an Automated Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRF). Using a diagram reminiscent of a castle, they used two towers to represent operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT), with a wall in the middle making up the I/O lines. While these structures were symptomatic of their time, they have historically separated IT and OT teams both figuratively and literally. By contrast, the latest control architectures have broken down these rigid structures, replacing them with highly integrated and free-flowing systems. Advantage one: profit Whether you call it digital transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT), or Industry 4.0, the primary driver for businesses seeking automation improvements is to bolster the bottom line. At a time when political uncertainty is driving up the costs of doing business, many organisations are looking inward, searching for those all-important marginal gains. The convergence of IT and OT not only benefits from the sharing of resources between connected devices, but it also promises to boost productivity. Better scheduling, production planning, material allocation, product tracking and real-time access to process data, are quick and easy when the two realms are working in sync. However, without an effective digital platform running at the heart of the system, businesses will continue to face issues related to complexity, compatibility and cost. Advantage two: people The second major benefit of combining IT and OT is to allow staff on both sides to overcome their differences. Cybersecurity, decision-making, scalability and downtime are just some areas that can put IT and OT staff at odds with each other. Take downtime, for example. In mission- critical applications such as food and beverage production, where unexpected downtime could result in spoiled produce, OT staff may be responsible for getting the line back up-and-running as quickly as possible. IT staff, on the other hand, may be responsible for ensuring data integrity for traceability purposes and will therefore prioritise this task. In this situation, a software platform that combines data recording, machine operation and business intelligence in a single, integrated environment can help IT and OT staff to solve their problems collectively. Using a network technology with circular redundancy and high availability can help to minimise downtime. Similarly, data archiving allows IT staff to immediately retrieve and store traceability data. Advantage three: place Business theory dictates that if you want to make it difficult for your competitors to enter your market, you need to put up barriers to entry. This includes technological, regulatory or economical hurdles that you’ve spent years overcoming, and ones that make it unattractive for new entrants to replicate. But what if these same hurdles are preventing you from growing as a business? Take sugar refining for example. Because the harvesting window for sugar cane is so narrow — typically three months from December to March —manufacturers are under pressure to ensure that they can set up the plant rapidly for seasonal production. What’s more, the process of turning raw sugar cane into processed sugar is complex, involving many steps such as shredding, milling, juice extraction, clarification, evaporation, syrup production, crystallisation, centrifugation, drying and packaging. All of these processes need to be co- ordinated carefully because any downtime can be critical to the success of the final product. Here, the integration of IT and OT is essential in democratising automation, levelling the playing field, and facilitating business growth. As industry breaks down the rigid barriers of traditional engineering structures, we’re seeing how powerful digital platforms can be in underpinning the sustainable convergence of IT and OT. The advantages are clear, it’s time for businesses to act. Maybe in another 40 years, engineers will look back and wonder why industry was so reluctant to topple the figurative IT and OT castles. n For more than 30 years engineers have been extolling the benefits of integrating IT and OT, but many businesses are still reluctant to adopt platforms that combine the two. Martyn Williams, managing director of Copa-Data UK, explains the benefits of IT and OT convergence. Meeting of minds: the convergence of IT and OT has many benefits for industrial enterprises