The event has ended PI Italy Consortium which brought together all its consortium members in a day dedicated to technical insights and the presentation of the new industrial communication standard OMLOX extension.
The automation sector is the reference context in which the PI Italia Consortium operates, and precisely for this reason the meeting was opened by a survey, elaborated by EMG Different – Milanese research company – which turned to a sample of 50 manufacturing companies, 50 machinery producers and 50 process automation companies. The research highlighted how for over 70% of the interviewees the availability of communication protocols is important for the implementation of the production process, in particular the manufacturing sector registered 76% of consents. Furthermore, the latter evaluates its level of automation positively, the satisfaction rate found in machine builders (62%) and in process automation companies (60%) being lower. Therefore, the need to make production processes more efficient in all sectors considered emerged. But what are the best known industrial communication protocols? In the first place there is PROFIBUSwhich registers 48%, then PROFINET with 41% and finally IO-Link which grows by 4 percentage points compared to 2021 with 45%. 72% of respondents also confirm that they are satisfied with it in terms of performance efficiency.
One of the less popular standards since recently launched, is OMLOX extension which was presented during the event by Karsten Schneider, Chairman of PI International And Matthias Jöst, OMLOX Committee Leader. It is an open real-time localization protocol that integrates devices from different manufacturers into a single process. Thus, a standard for continuous location services for industry, logistics, security and asset management that helps increase operational efficiency and create new service-oriented revenue streams. Being open, the standard has no technological constraints, so terms like interoperability and efficiency are the defining characteristics.
It should be emphasized that the data and its sharing always remain central. As he claimed Gilberto Genga – expert in innovation strategies – who in his keynote speech confirmed the importance of strategic analysis processes of data and inefficiencies, for the generation of cutting-edge services. This operating method is functional to the definition of a winning business model which not only facilitates the company and makes it more competitive, but finds ideas for innovative digital solutions in its customers’ queries, thus creating an interconnected optimization system.
Subsequently, the Competence Centers of the PI Italia Consortium provided insights into the PROFIBUS, PROFINET and IO-Link industrial communication protocols. Technical workshops on cyber security followed with Paolo Ferrari of CSMT Innovative Contamination HUB and its “PROFINET with TSN and integrated security”; on the importance of updating and strengthening the enterprise through smart solutions with Paolo Rocca of DUPLOMATIC MS and its “IO-Link and OEE: smart implementations”. Finally, the importance of knowing how to design a good communication network for the industry was discussed Claudio Casali of GFCC and its “Skills and certifications: mandatory steps for a good design and installation of industrial networks”.
“The PI Italia Consortium, together with the largest international network, is today no longer just a promoter of pure Fieldbus technology, but a true enabler of technologies for the implementation ofIndustry 4.0”, comments the President Giorgio Santandrea. “We are moving on to other topics, such as the communication interface to connect robots and control systems, to manage an entire automated system through a single interface device for teaching and communication. An innovation that was presented at the recent SPS in Nuremberg. Another novelty is the new MTP interface for creating high-level objects and defining the packaging for each unit in a standard way. In addition of course to the OMLOX novelty presented today which is linked to the smart factory and digitization, where the watchword is – as you may have understood – interoperability”.