This solution by iTAC, OpenText and Bosch Rexroth will be a door-opener to Internet of Things. The basis is an ecosystem comprising ERP, MES, and BI solutions as well as the Nexo screw technology. This is a radio cordless screwdriver from Bosch Rexroth which has an intelligent controlling system following the ZVEI guidelines “Which Criteria do I4.0 products have to fulfill?” - a global innovation that makes Industry 4.0 applications possible.
The product can be communicated to online, it supplies and takes data and is plug-and-play ready for Industry 4.0-conform services. It also creates standardized data with cross-manufacturer unique identification that can be read by a scanner.
Radio cordless screwdriver communicates with MES
Based on the Nexo features a pay-per-use application scenario was built in a real just-in-sequence assembly cell at the Accenture IIoT Innovation Center. This scenario shows how the screwdriver supports assembly processes. It has been set up as a steering wheel assembly and demonstrates how the radio cordless screwdriver automatically recognizes whether the steering wheel being assembled is correct. The screw system provides its own data via process interlocking mechanisms. If the steering wheel is not correct, the process is stopped automatically by the iTAC.MES.Suite dockerized with which the screwdriver communicates.
The iTAC.MES.Suite dockerized is a platform-independent, cloud-capable MES solution with a container-based character available on the leading IoT platforms such as Microsoft Azure, AWS, IBM Bluemix etc. The MES services of iTAC.MES.Suite dockerized such as quality analysis, gapless traceability, automatic material procurement or simultaneous multi-resource planning can be used as a public-cloud, on-premises or edge-device solution.
Integrated BI system for process transparency
The system enables steering wheels to be assembled according to their type. It not only shows and controls if the correct material has been used but also, for example, whether the steering wheel has been assembled using the correct torque. The process is supported by the OpenText Analytics Information Hub platform iHub, which visualizes what occurs during production by supplying different production data such as torque and screw angle. The embedded analysis function enables process optimization by monitoring important metrics in real time, identifying target deviations and learning why these deviations occur.
Pay-per-use – Needs-based invoicing
With this system the worker only has to scan the barcode once. The pay-per-use system calculates different rates depending on torque speed. This allows invoices to be calculated per torque.
Invoicing takes place in ERP. The MES communicates with ERP via interfaces. The invoice is generated fully automatically in ERP for the factory as a closed-loop scenario. The systems can communicate with each other via integration services.
The application system based on a closed-loop hybrid cloud guarantees low or no initial costs for the infrastructure. As well as an increase in productivity, production quality and process safety, needs-based usage and invoicing are possible leading to better transparency. This project is an outstanding example of practical Industry 4.0 applications. The solution can be viewed from now at the Accenture IIoT Innovation Center in Garching.
