D IGITA L

TRANSFORMATION
SPRING EDITION
Contents
3 — Top 10 modern SCADA system features

9 — ThingWorx Kepware Server - Connect With Confidence

10 — PTC Technologies, Kepware and ThingWorx generate

powerful Improvements for SIG

18 — A look at digital transformation using the cloud

32 — RKS-G4000 Series Next-generation Scalable Modular

Rackmount Switches – Embrace Scalability

33 — Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

54 — Plant instrumentation and controls: Issues and drivers

67 — Three words that demystify digital transformation

71 — Next steps for digital transformation for manufacturers

2
Top 10 modern SCADA
system features  Back to TOC

A modern supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system should be

designed to help manufacturers take advantage of digital transformation and
should run on modern technology.

I ndustrial operational data is mostly obtained from devices such as sensors, switch-
es, and relays through input/output (I/O) modules but is also acquired from higher
level devices such as controllers and remote terminal units (RTUs). It then makes its
way to a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, which has the pri-
mary function of data acquisition and data logging.

A SCADA system acquires and transforms the captured data using SCADA software,
which can also be programmed for control and fault detection. The data is then pre-
sented through a human-machine interface (HMI) and transformed into visualizations
such as pictorials, graphs, data charts, tables, etc. These can be interpreted and used
by operators for better operational understanding thus leading to informed deci-
sions.

Top 10 features of a SCADA system

First, a top SCADA system should be built on 64-bit technology to allow to access fast-
er processors with the higher memory capacity of 64-bit computing and with the ability
to run faster and scale larger than other older SCADA systems. Digital transformation
is our reality nowadays, so future-proofing the system by using industry standard 64-bit
servers to drive data logging is essential.

3
Top 10 modern SCADA system features

 Back to TOC

1. Universal connectivity and IoT ready:

A SCADA system should leverage universal connectivity allowing users to connect to any
data in the system from anywhere, which makes operations IoT ready. It should allow for
data acquisition from “protocols” inclusive of BACnet, OPC, databases, web services, In-
ternet of Things (IoT), simple network management protocol (SNMP), message queuing
telemetry transport (MQTT) and structured query language (SQL) so users can aggregate
or connect almost any data with firewall-friendly communication methods. The SCADA
system also should allow users to integrate data from business systems.

2. High performance data capture:

A SCADA also should have the capability of high-speed, data collection through a
4
Top 10 modern SCADA system features

historian that can log data at a speed greater than 100,000 tags per second and that  Back to TOC
can work with data sources across the enterprise. It should have a secure historian that
supports store-and-forward technology and that allows users to source and merge data
from any open database.

3. 2D and 3D visualization:
A SCADA system should be versatile and practical, so it should provide fast, scalable
and secure visualization on desktops, web browsers and mobile devices. It should sup-
port rich WPF and script-less, thin client HTML5 technology that allows for consistent
visualization on all platforms.

4. Live, self-service dashboards:

An advanced SCADA should offer configurable, self-service key performance indica-
tor (KPI) dashboards to allow management to understand the operational big picture
quickly and at any given time. These systems should allow users to drag and drop data,
configure widgets, split screens and leverage preconfigured gauges, process points,
trends, alarms and grids for quick data visualization. At a minimum, the SCADA system
should provide on-the-spot display creation for visualizing data when and where it is
needed.

5. Mission-critical redundancy:
SCADA systems should be designed to negotiate internal communications for redun-
dancy, load balancing, and scalability throughout the enterprise. It should be designed
for large, distributed, or mission-critical applications being fully redundant, at multiple
levels and at modular levels.

5
Top 10 modern SCADA system features

6. Fault analytics and energy monitoring:  Back to TOC

SCADA systems should visualize, aggregate and summarize energy usage in real-time
through custom, secure and mobile-friendly energy monitoring dashboards. It should
allow users to continuously commission factories and buildings by weighing the proba-
bility of equipment failure and advising personnel of preventative actions before faults
occur.

7. Advanced alarming:
A SCADA system should come with enterprise-wide alarm and event management. It
should allocate and filter alarms from any alarm system or subscribe to multiple alarm
servers and enhance normalized alarms with live data sources.

8. Integrated SMS/e-mail alerts:

A SCADA system should provide alert notifications via email or SMS text. More desir-
ably, it should be able to distribute enterprise-wide alarm notifications via email, voice,
text-to-speech, phone, instant messaging, and collaboration platforms such as Micro-
soft Teams, and on boards, task trays and video.

9. Cloud-ready and modular scalability:

A SCADA should be cloud-ready and be able to run on cloud-based virtual. It also
should be equipped to handle the entire expanse of a global enterprise from a few
hundred to millions of tags daily.

10. Project development tools:

The ideal SCADA solution should be easy enough to use at the end user level, yet flex-
ible enough to meet the needs of system integration firms and domain experts. The
6
Top 10 modern SCADA system features

ideal SCADA will offer a great deal of configurability, one that supports 99% of appli-  Back to TOC
cation requirements and one that only resorts to software development or scripting in
the rarest of cases.

Integrating software and hardware

There’s a lot of talk about advanced automation though Industry 4.0, smart factories,
digital transformation, edge computing, the cloud and IT/OT convergence. However, it
is important to understand that factories and process control require SCADA and con-
trol systems to achieve the level of automation that is the foundation for these unique
opportunities.

This leads to the final piece of the automation puzzle – the integration of the proper
software and hardware. Having in place automation software and hardware with stan-
dardization and technical innovation serves as a platform for data and the corresponding
analysis to turn it into useful information. This combination will result in operational opti-
mization with flexibility and agility that will lead to efficient and profitable operations.

Thomas Burke
Thomas Burke is global strategic advisor at CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA).

7
Reliably Scale Your IIoT or Industry 4.0
Initiative with Robust Connectivity
Poor connectivity to industrial assets can extend digital transformation timelines, inflate
costs, and increase architectural complexity. ThingWorx Kepware Server unlocks indus-
trial data from all your sensors and equipment - including legacy assets - so you can
connect across an entire factory or enterprise with confidence.

Download a Free Demo

ThingWorx Kepware Server - Connect With Confidence

 Back to TOC


ThingWorx Kepware Server — Connect
With Confidence
See how ThingWorx Kepware Server unlocks industrial data from
all your sensors and equipment—including legacy assets—so you
can connect across an entire factory or enterprise with confidence.

9
PTC Technologies, In the world of manufacturing, efficiency is
everything—but already efficient systems can
be the hardest to optimize. Unlocking that “last
Kepware and mile” of efficiency can mean the difference
between success and failure in the future. Read
ThingWorx how SIG partnered with PTC, using Kepware
and ThingWorx to improve an already efficient

generate powerful system, helping secure their position as an

industry leader.

Improvements SIG helps customers stand out from

the competition
for SIG Walk down any aisle of a grocery store and you’ll see hun-
dreds, if not thousands, of different packages. Varying col-
ors, styles, brands, and material all compete for attention.
But grabbing your attention doesn’t just mean having the
flashiest packaging—food and beverage companies know
that consumers also look for packaging that is convenient,
functional, and sustainable. In short, standing out from the
crowd has never been harder.

SIG is an international, leading systems and solutions pro-

vider for aseptic packaging that’s always in style. Founded
in 1853 and headquartered in Neuhausen am Rheinfall,
Switzerland, SIG manufactures aseptic carton packaging
and equipment for the highest-quality beverages and
PTC Technologies, Kepware and ThingWorx generate powerful Improvements

liquid foods. They produce more than 38  Back to TOC

billion cartons a year, filling more than
10,000 products delivered to partners in
68 countries. And their business itself is
global—they operate seven production
plants in six countries, from China to Sau-
di Arabia to Brazil.

SIG was diligent about capturing and

tracking KPIs through their manufacturing
execution system (MES) and had several
decades of experience to inform their approach. How-
BILLION CARTONS
ever, SIG—like all commodity manufacturers—faced PER YEAR
38
continuous cost pressure. On top of this, SIG was
doubling down on their commitment to sustainabil- COUNTRIES DELIVERED TO 68
ity and empowering employees. To maintain their PRODUCTION
7
position as an industry leader, SIG knew they had PLANTS

to push for more.

COUNTRIES OPERATING IN 6

Incremental improvements are the

difference between success and failure
Incremental improvements in an already efficient system are often the hardest to real-
ize. Swimmers swim tens of thousands of laps in their career. Each lap the same as the
last. But a swimmer’s success depends on being able to swim that same length faster
and faster. Every incremental improvement is necessary. The slightest adjustment can
be the difference between a spot on the podium and going home early.
11
PTC Technologies, Kepware and ThingWorx generate powerful Improvements

In the world of manufacturing, finding a competitive edge when producing a com-  Back to TOC
modity product is like shaving precious seconds off a lap time. For SIG, achieving their
business goals also meant focusing on optimization and cost reduction. In order to
realize those key incremental gains, SIG recognized there were opportunities to enable
connectivity and improve visibility into operations.

To start, SIG identified areas where they could reduce the need for manual inputs. Dig-
itization would offer a clearer view of asset performance and drive efficiencies—build-
ing on the detailed KPI and data capturing they already performed.

Additionally, connecting their specialized production lines and custom machines would
give them more transparency across their plants.

With proven solutions designed to improve visibility and connectivity, SIG knew that
Kepware was the right technology to uncover the incremental improvements that
would impact the bottom-line.

SIG infused their operations with connectivity and visibility

SIG optimized the “final lap” through digitization and global standardization. Their
goal was to fully connect production, through which all systems and machines could
communicate and cooperate. By removing manual inputs and digitizing how they
record data, SIG set out to leverage accurate, real- time data as the basis for KPIs to
understand more effectively what was happening on the ground floor.

Teams across plants were working on different solutions to close this gap, but to un-
lock the most value from these initiatives, the project needed to be a single, global
12
PTC Technologies, Kepware and ThingWorx generate powerful Improvements

effort. SIG’s global production improvement  Back to TOC

team, sitting at the intersection of business
and IT, dedicated themselves to finding im-
provements and driving consistency across
all plants. They decided to bundle these dis-
parate projects and implement one solution
that could realize gains across all their plants.

Because the approach wasn’t greenfield,

the flexibility and usability of PTC solutions
was critical. The speed, security, and scal-
ability of Kepware and ThingWorx made
them the right solutions to drive SIG’s digital
transformation. Production machines aren’t
“standard” machines, and these PTC tech-
nologies, combined, offered the right system
flexibility and product portfolio to connect
the fleet of customized machines.

With PTC technology, SIG was able to con-

nect machine PLCs, their existing manufac-
turing execution system, and other devices
on the production floor. As a testament to
the usability of Kepware and ThingWorx in
combination with their Customer Success
offerings—strategically packaged services,
13
PTC Technologies, Kepware and ThingWorx generate powerful Improvements

resources, and guides—SIG completed the full implementation on their own. And  Back to TOC
backed by personalized services from Customer Success Managers and the technical
guidance of different PTC subject matter experts,
the SIG team was able to access trainings, accel-
erate their learning of the application and system,
With Kepware’s
and resolve critical challenges.
flexibility, SIG was able
to connect a fleet of
customized machines
Driving efficiencies and
to their MES.
improvements globally
SIG implemented a flexible IoT solution that pow-
ered communication, connectivity, and visibility while still leveraging their existing sys-
tems. “PTC was able to help us normalize our disparate sources of data and increase
the level of transparency across the factory operations,” said Dr. Thomas Scheermess-
er, the Head of Production Process Improvement for Global Projects and Production
Engineering at SIG.

These solutions leverage real-time asset and utilization monitoring to give SIG a clear-
er view into operations. For example, while monitoring their production process for
efficiency, SIG discovered micro-outages that hadn’t been tracked due to manual re-
cording processes. Using real-time data, they were able to take this information into
account, and by connecting production equipment with Kepware and ThingWorx to-
gether, they could visualize the data and KPIs to easily see downtimes, as well as other
inconsistencies in the production machines themselves.

As a result of this increased visibility, SIG found that the speed KPIs of their production
lines went up. Their efficiency metrics went down due to uncovering the true amount
14
PTC Technologies, Kepware and ThingWorx generate powerful Improvements

of downtime. But they also discovered unexpected insights, like their machines con-  Back to TOC
suming more energy than was necessary. “We were pleased to see how quick and easy
it was to connect power meters into the system,” said Dr. Scheermesser. “The added
visibility of the energy consumption of our machines is one of many levers to further
reduce our carbon footprint.” Ultimately, the solution provided full transparency into
data that had previously been difficult to ascertain. Armed with an accurate measure of
their plant’s effectiveness, they were able to benchmark efficiency across their global
locations.

From plant managers to business decision makers, visibility across operations empow-
ers them to prioritize work and understand which problems to address. Production
managers and operators can locate machines consuming too much energy when not
in production—as this could indicate a mechanical problem, they can act immediately
to reduce downtime. Furthermore, operators no longer have to rush to record down-
times, making their lives just a little easier. And business decision makers now have the
context to make clear and informed decisions that improve asset optimization.

“PTC was able to help us normalize our disparate sources of data and
increase the level of transparency across the factory operations.”

Dr. Thomas Scheermesser

Head of Production Process Improvement for Global Projects
and Production Engineering at SIG

15
PTC Technologies, Kepware and ThingWorx generate powerful Improvements

Looking to the future  Back to TOC

Working with PTC, SIG was able to not
only digitize their production, but also
plan for the next steps of their digital
transformation journey. First on the list:
expand their current solutions to more
locations. After successfully integrating
two pilot plants, using Kepware, over the
course of a year, SIG was prepared to roll
out their solution globally to their remain-
ing five plants.

Leveraging their newly connected ma-

chines and MES systems, SIG planned to
create functional user interfaces (UI) tai-
lored to each of their locations needs to in-
crease transparency across their entire pro-
duction network. They were also exploring
more automation scenarios— specifically,
being able to detect machines operating outside of set parameters. They can now
create alarms or even overrule the operator if necessary. And using advanced analytics
from ThingWorx, they’ll be able to find correlations they otherwise never would have
found, enabling other powerful use cases such as predictive maintenance.

The reduction of energy consumption is another clear SIG target. By connecting power
meters and collecting data around downtime, they were also able to gain additional in-
16
PTC Technologies, Kepware and ThingWorx generate powerful Improvements

sight into energy consumption of their machines. They plan to use this data to improve  Back to TOC
sustainability and energy efficiency.

Navigating unknown waters is never easy. SIG’s partnership with PTC has fueled
their commitment to continuous improvement and helping their customers excel at
what they do. After all the success they’ve already experienced, SIG knows digital
transformation is the right adjustment they need to gain the competitive edge for
the next lap.

www.ptc.com/en/case-studies

17
A look at digital transformation
using the cloud  Back to TOC

Cloud architecture, when examined in its entirety, can be very complex.

Focusing on its interface with operations technology makes matters clearer
and more manageable.

D igital transformation (DX) reorients how companies do business through digital

technologies supported on cloud infrastructure to all areas of operation, including
value-chain optimization, enterprise planning, and asset management. DX even ex-
tends to health, safety, and environmental management. DX and Industrial Internet of
Things (IIoT) discussions include operations technology (OT) and information technolo-
gy (IT) convergence, the cloud and networking strategies. The expanse of DX and IIoT
topics can be overwhelming even to someone more experienced on the OT side.

Comprehensive cloud architecture comprises six layers (Figure 1), spanning everything
from an individual field instrument to enterprise-wide management networks. For
someone on the OT side, the upper layers are far removed, and there is little occasion
to interact with them. In this case, the focus will be on the bottom up and will empha-
size three areas:

• What is (are) the core objective(s) of the cloud shift in relation to its practical benefits.

• What is necessary to engage existing production equipment and networks with the
cloud.

• A real-world example where DX is making a major difference.

18
A look at digital transformation using the cloud

 Back to TOC

To help contextualize the analysis, we can Figure 1: Digital transformation (DX) concepts affect
a business at every level, from the boardroom to
use a hypothetical company as an example individual field instruments. Courtesy: Yokogawa
with the assumption layer 0 is already work-
ing well. The field networks and automation host—distributed control system (DCS),
programmable logic controller (PLC) or other automation devices—keep the process
under control, and there is basic data retention using a process historian. This is the
OT side of the operation. How do they connect to the IT and the cloud? This is where
the edge factors in.

Level 1, Edge: Bridge and unifier

The term “edge” is misleading because it is at the center of so much. The edge sys-
tem (Figure 2) serves not only as a bridge between traditional OT systems and IT, but
19
A look at digital transformation using the cloud

also between the local (on-premises) systems and the cloud. In addition to transport-  Back to TOC
ing local data to the cloud, edge configurations also might be engineered to support
unstructured data, and even run-time sensitive logic and artificial intelligence (AI). This
makes it a very strategic link in the larger architecture.

The edge system must have an effective data collection mechanism for the OT systems
so it can move the data to the cloud without problems. This requires a combination of
hardware and software, and the edge system must be sized according to the nature of
the application, with consideration for factors such as:

• Resilience

• Availability

• Latency

• Throughput

• Bandwidth

• Privacy

• Security.

The primary role of an edge controller is to regulate the flow of information from the
OT and IT floor to the data center or cloud (and vice versa), providing storage, buff-
20
A look at digital transformation using the cloud

 Back to TOC

ering, and bulk upload of data wherever applicable. It also Figure 2: The edge system ties
may provide intelligence to perform data filtering and exe- together the lowest layers and
connects them to the cloud.
cution of business logic—often using machine learning (ML) Courtesy: Yokogawa
or transfer-learning algorithms—close to the plant floor.

The edge acquires OT data from process systems or historians using interfaces con-
forming to open industry standards like OPC and OPC UA. There also are native inter-
faces that support a host of other industry standard protocols such as Modbus, Foun-
dation Fieldbus and Profibus.

Standard security practices deploy the edge in a demilitarized zone (DMZ) configura-
tion, which is a physical or logical subnetwork that contains and exposes an organiza- 21
A look at digital transformation using the cloud

tion’s external-facing service. Other options may involve servers with information di-  Back to TOC
odes. Edge gateways also can be configured and managed from an external network,
like the cloud, based on organizational security policies.

Edge strategy in three tiers

Details of edge strategies vary among companies, their production processes, and
plant locations. A good way to begin the design process is using a three-tier edge
strategy (Figure 3):

1. The “edge gateway” focuses on providing secure transport of data from the plant
floor to the cloud, but with restrictive OT protocol support.

2. The “light edge” provides all the functionalities of the first tier, but also connectiv-
ity across a broader range of OT protocols, along with buffering, filtering, payload
transformations, and some IT data exchange.

3. The “comprehensive edge” builds on the first two, while also providing a mechanism
to run applications (including AI apps), and to provide application orchestration, de-
vice management, support for robotics, and remote engineering from the cloud.

The comprehensive edge combines components of its collaborative information server

with components for video and image analytics. This end-state vision of the edge sup-
ports ingestion of both structured data (from sensors, process data, etc.) and unstruc-
tured data (video, images, files, etc.). The comprehensive edge also ensures the edge
can process and bridge all kinds of operations data (OT and IT) between the plant floor
and the cloud.
22
A look at digital transformation using the cloud

 Back to TOC

The ability to execute AI applications that combine one Figure 3: When approaching
potential digital transformation
or more of these data types can unlock new value through
developments from the OT
applications like virtual/smart workers, integrated remote side, the picture is clearer.
operations, robotic applications and more. This third tier of Courtesy: Yokogawa

edge strategy helps a facility take a step closer to realizing

industrial autonomy. By applying distributed ML, it is possible to distribute the AI work-
load between the cloud and edge, enabling a new paradigm of smart manufacturing.

How the cloud benefits manufacturing

The cloud can host a wide variety of software applications, while providing secure and
bulk data handling and other functionality, therefore what can be done with it depen-
dent on the application. Some companies approach it as a blank slate and build all 23
A look at digital transformation using the cloud

 Back to TOC

Figure 4: This closer look at a specific

needed elements. Others prefer to use a third-party
cloud offering illustrates how it supports
platform-as-a-service (PaaS) so they can have a quick industrial applications. Courtesy:
start, along with access to sophisticated tools while Yokogawa

they develop their own solutions. A third approach is

subscribing to a fully managed cloud application service.

For those choosing the third approach, a cloud platform provides a full range of digital
applications to deliver true DX capability, while greatly reducing the need for end-user
support and investment at the IT level.

A cloud platform empowers users to manage managing data along its lifecycle using
an established sequence of activities and processes. This supports data curation and
utilization to enable effective analytics and ML to drive insights and innovation.

The cloud platform is organized into five layers (Figure 4), each representing a set of
tools and services available to applications built on the platform. Common services

24
(3-1 in Figure 4) include cybersecurity and identity management services that provide
A look at digital transformation using the cloud

secure access to data, but only to valid users. The layered architecture of the platform  Back to TOC
maps to the key phases of data management: data enablement (3-2), data curation and
processing (3-3), and data analytics (3-4). It also includes an application programming
interface (API) (3-5) through which the applications consume the services provided by
the platform.

How does it work to provide practical process improvements? This is where applica-
tions come into the picture. Applications are software programs built to solve specific
business problems such as asset management, production optimization, or health and
safety. They’re built to use the available process data by applying analytics, AI, ML,
visualization and more.

Since all the applications are on a common platform, they can connect with each other
and securely exchange or reuse data as needed. Once available on the platform, data
can be reused by other applications, thereby eliminating data duplication throughout
the lifecycle. Standard applications are configured for quick deployment.

With all the data and communication infrastructure available, the cloud platform is an
ideal place to host optimization and process autonomy applications since they can ac-
cess all necessary historical data and current process conditions, while providing brute
number-crunching power.

Wastewater treatment optimization using DDMO integration

The number of applications available that are designed to provide process autonomy
and optimization via a cloud platform are growing, but given the naturally cautious
attitude of process manufacturers, many are anxious to see working applications in
25
A look at digital transformation using the cloud

 Back to TOC

actual operations. Yokogawa recently com- Figure 5: Advanced water treatment is effective
pleted a proof of concept (PoC) for optimizing and can be very expensive, so it must be
carefully regulated to avoid overtreatment.
operations at a U.S. wastewater reclamation Courtesy: Yokogawa
facility producing potable water. For this initia-
tive, a data-driven modeling for optimization (DDMO) application was delivered. It is
powered by the cloud platform and can use historical data to improve operations. It
has been used in a complex and critical water treatment application by the City of Los
Angeles at its Tapia Water Reclamation Facility of the Las Virgenes Municipal Water
District (LVMWD), located in Los Angeles County.

Producing enough potable water to supply 20 million people in the state calls for a
variety of methods including recycling wastewater. This requires advanced water treat-
ment (AWT) methods (Figure 5), including ultrafiltration (UF), reverse osmosis (RO), and
ultraviolet advanced oxidation processes (UV AOP). The thought of recycling waste-
water has caused concern among consumers, but the processes have proven safe and
practical, provided the water can be treated to achieve log10 values of viruses, Giardia,
and Cryptosporidium.

One major challenge the project was related to verifying the water treatment was ef-
26
A look at digital transformation using the cloud

fective, while avoiding overtreatment costs. The DDMO software suite was applied to  Back to TOC
model and then predict setpoints to optimize operations and support operator deci-
sion making, while maintaining the target water quality at water treatment facilities.
With advanced data analysis through cloud software and secure remote connectivity,
the automation system can make operational adjustments to optimize the process.
Specialized scanners to evaluate treatment are equipped with built-in data cleansing,
curation, analysis and modeling tools for continuous process optimization.

For this initiative, the project used the cloud platform (Figure 6) to minimize the re-
quired on-site activities and establish a secure data reference between the site and
systems. The DDMO software used real-time operational data to derive control set-
points, which were sent back to operators at the Tapia Water Reclamation Facility.

After conducting a multifaceted evaluation and performing a concrete verification of

effectiveness, the new techniques, coupled with the DDMO software suite, delivered
operational efficiency improvements yielding more than a 10% reduction in power con-
sumption, while meeting all water quality standards. Impressed with these results, the
WateReuse Association presented Yokogawa and its partners with a 2022 Transforma-
tional Innovation award.

Hand valve position monitoring

A fertilizer company used the cloud platform to monitor hand valve positions at one of
its plants. Panel operators are often blind to manual valve positions and rely on field
operator feedback based on operator rounds. To address human failures causing inci-
dents, process downtime, and production losses, a cloud-based monitoring solution
covering hand valves was delivered.
27
A look at digital transformation using the cloud

 Back to TOC

The cloud platform provides: Figure 6: A simplified data-driven modeling

for optimization (DDMO) architecture overview
is powered by the Yokogawa Cloud platform.
• Connectivity to field-based IoT sensors us- Courtesy: Yokogawa
ing edge gateways

• Secure data flow, storage, and continuous monitoring

• Visualization of valve position in dashboard with alerts

• Easy deployment, maintenance, and scale up.

This solution limits the probability of mistakes, faulty operations, and environmental
spills, leading to safer plant operation.

28
A look at digital transformation using the cloud

Asset performance management of geothermal power plants  Back to TOC

Another example of an application is an asset performance management system in-
stalled at a geothermal power plant. This application is an add-on system applicable
to any geothermal plant, and it connects to an existing plant control system, with addi-
tional points of measurement provided as needed.

The solution is deployed on the cloud platform. Connectivity to one or multiple pro-
duction sites is established using standard OT protocols supported by an edge adap-
tor hosted on the cloud platform.

The cloud platform provides:

• Integration of plant data

• Secure data flow, storage, and continuous monitoring

• Calculation of geothermal key performance indicators (KPIs), with comparison to

baselines

• Visualization of geothermal plant performance KPIs to help plant personnel identi-

fy performance degradation, and then act as required.

Digital transformation concepts at work

Industrial digital platforms, such as a cloud platform, provide a collection of common
reusable services for data management, algorithmic execution, and visualization.
These platforms enable the development of a variety of applications and integrated
29
A look at digital transformation using the cloud

solutions with a consistent user experience, thereby accelerating and simplifying the  Back to TOC
value creation process. Business values unlocked by DX include improved effective-
ness, efficiency, optimization, organization-wide collaboration, and progress toward
industrial autonomy.

Satish Balasubramanian
Satish Balasubramanian is a digital transformation solutions architect at Yokogawa.
He works on understanding end user problems to conceive, build, and support custom
solutions hosted on existing platforms and products. He has decade of experience in
the world of automation, advanced process control, and software development. Bal-
asubramanian holds multiple technical degrees from various universities, culminating
with and MS degree in Chemical Process Control from the Indian Institute of Technolo-
gy in Madras, India.

30
RKS-G4000 Series Next-generation Scalable Modular Rackmount Switches

 Back to TOC


RKS-G4000 Series Next-generation
Scalable Modular Rackmount Switches –
Embrace Scalability
The RKS-G4000 Series was designed to meet evolving
network requirements and the rigorous demands of mission-
critical applications, such as power substations, railway, and
factory automation.

32
Essential Tips The Digital Transformation Is Accelerating
With the global impact of supply chain disruptions, the

for Building
pandemic, and the push towards carbon neutrality, there
is an urgent need to transform the way industrial organi-
zations are running. Businesses across the globe are now

Futureproof beginning to see operational resilience as an imperative to

maintain market share,

Industrial
avoid disruptions, and
embrace innovation.

Networks “Resilience”
has never been more
important than it
is today.

Many businesses are

investing in digital
transformation and
technology to ensure
operational resilience.
For example, some are shifting towards remote operations
while others focus on adding more predictive capabilities.
Automation investments have also boomed as manufactur-
ers navigate the complex and fastchanging new landscape.
Using digital technology, organizations can adapt quickly
to changes in the networking environment.
Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

 Back to TOC
34% of organizations are
now monitoring and
diagnosing almost all of their
devices, equipment, assets,
facilities, and processes remote-
ly with limited on-site staff.

— IDC’s 2021 Future of

Operations Survey

Seamless Connectivity Is the Way Forward

To fully realize the transition to digitalized industrial organizations, it’s not enough to
just implement advanced digital technologies. Its success depends on the ability to
seamlessly integrate these new solutions into existing legacy networks, infrastructure,
and processes to create a unified digital ecosystem. The seamless and real-time
transmission of data is key. By merging IT and OT systems, businesses can take full
advantage of the technological capabilities to enhance local, remote, and cloud-based
operations. According to IDC’s IT/OT convergence survey*, more than 30% of organi-
zations are planning to integrate operational data from systems such as data historian
software, industrial control systems, and asset management, into their enterprise data
governance model for the first time. Compared to 2018, convergence of OT and IT
systems rose nearly 10%.

Merging these traditionally separate systems presents its own set of challenges. While
seamless integration of these systems is an irreversible trend, OT systems need to
34
Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

embrace a more open architecture to sustain the growing number of connected appli-  Back to TOC
cations. With that in mind, enhanced, robust industrial networks become even more
important.

* Worldwide IT/OT Convergence Survey Findings, 2020

“IT/OT convergence”
is the path to achieving
operational resilience.

Futureproof industrial network com-

munication is the key to success in
this converged, digital future.

Industrial Networks Are Evolving. Are You Ready?

Facing the rapid growth of IT/OT converged applications that introduce countless sen-
sors and machines into industrial networks, it’s no longer just about whether devices
are connected or not. It’s about the seamless transfer of data to the right place at the
right time with the necessary reliability to ensure continuous operations.

Futureproof industrial networks are

being redefined: network connectivity + data connectivity

Robust network connectivity is important, no doubt. However, it should not be your

sole focus, as you might miss out on opportunities for innovation that would let you
stand out from the competition.
35
Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

“Functional reliability” is an im-  Back to TOC

portant concept that you should keep in
mind when building futureproof industrial
networks. It’s the idea that you should not
only focus on stable and seamless network
connectivity, but also design your network
to support seamless data connectivity. By
combining these two, you can incorporate
intelligent functionality into your operations
such as remote control commands and inci-
dent response mechanisms.

Looking ahead, digital transformation is the key to unlocking business growth. Industri-
al networks will evolve to adapt to this new direction. However, since this is unfamiliar
territory for most businesses, there will be some hurdles to overcome as you shift to-
wards this new generation of networking. With this guidebook, we want to provide you
with some essential tips to help you futureproof your industrial networks.

Overcoming Challenges With Futureproof Industrial Networks

[ Challenge 1 ]:
As more devices are connected and communicating over the same network, system
complexity is increasing exponentially. Any delay or data loss can lead to costly system
downtime. However, developing stable network and data connectivity that can support
the transformation needs of today and tomorrow is a challenge for most automation
businesses.

36
Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

 Back to TOC
Customer’s Voice:
EXPERT TIP: Futureproof industrial auto-
mation depends heavily on seamless data
“Although PEA is an electricity expert,
transmission and data integration. A ro-
we are not that familiar with critical
bust network foundation is a critical build-
network communication. In implement-
ing block to enable future usability and
ing and maintaining a digital substation
stability. In sum, Reliability is the first
communication system, we need an
major point of consideration when choos-
expert we know we can trust.”
ing network solutions to futureproof your
communications. Pongsakorn Yuthagovit,
Assistant governor,
Ruggedized devices are the cornerstone PEA (Electricity Authority)

for stable communication in harsh environ-

ments. Industrial certifications are the benchmark for any network’s performance and
durability in certain demanding applications. For example, the NEMA TS2 certification
proves devices can reliably operate in hazardous intelligent transportation system (ITS)
environments. To make integration more straightforward, products with multiple inter-
faces and high port density can cater to different connectivity scenarios and simplify
the network structure. Additionally, support for ring expansions can eliminate the need
to modify the network topology when adding devices to an existing network, which is
both risky and prone to errors. It’s also important that network devices feature redun-
dancy mechanisms to handle unexpected issues and avoid downtime. For example,
redundant dual power inputs can eliminate power outage downtime while other net-
work redundancy features can speed up network recovery and quickly get systems up
and running again.

37
Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

Choose network solutions that can be easily integrated.  Back to TOC

Digital transformation is a slow and gradual process that requires durable and adapt-
able industrial network devices. Therefore, it’s important to incorporate the necessary
flexibility to support both current and future functional requirements. One of these is
bandwidth. Choosing a product with higher bandwidth can support more devices and
transmit more data as demands grow over
time. Another important aspect is physi- Customer’s Voice:
cal design. Cabinet space is usually quite
limited. However, product size often dif- “The Moxa hardware solution
fers depending on the number of ports, brought full Gigabit speed all the
making it a headache for field engineers way out to the edge—reaching
to plan cabinet space for more devices every cabinet connected to the fiber
down the line. Networking devices with infrastructure—futureproofing the
a compact and uniform design can turn network and providing the bandwidth
a potential challenge into an opportunity necessary to support the data and
when planning for future expansions. video needs of today and tomorrow.”

Traffic engineer,
Moving forward, time-sensitive network-
City government
ing (TSN), a new set of standards based
on IEEE 802.1, prioritizes network traffic
and guarantees real-time communication, which means
time-sensitize data will be delivered to the right place at the right time. TSN can lever-
age standard Ethernet infrastructure to integrate industrial automation applications
into a single, unified network. TSN has already been adopted for several mission-crit-
ical applications around the world, and it’s expected to offer even more possibilities
38
Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

in future digitalized network environments. TSN can achieve deterministic communi-  Back to TOC
cations across a variety of applications, including in-machine, machine-to-machine, or
machine-to-supervisory. If you are interested in learning more about TSN implementa-
tions, check out our success cases covering Moxa’s cooperation with industry pioneers
to integrate TSN into several practical applications.

Futureproof your business with TSN technology to accelerate

digital transformation and take full advantage of the possibilities offered by the
Industrial Internet of Things and Industry 4.0.

[ Challenge 2 ]:
As IT/OT convergence continues to pick up momentum, closed OT systems are grad-
ually shifting towards a more open archi-
tecture. However, this also exposes OT Customer’s Voice:
infrastructure to potential cyberthreats,
becoming a target for hackers. Consider- “Edible oil refinery customers
ing most production information of criti- are extremely cautious about
cal applications is confidential and often cybersecurity since the details of their
relevant to public safety, OT engineers production process is the company’s
are under pressure to keep their systems own secret recipe; the information
intelligent and secure at the same time. is highly confidential, and no one
Cybersecurity is one of the major road- would risk exposing such valuable
blocks that cause many organizations to information to public networks.”
hesitate going forward with digitalization,
Jeffery Wong,
or in some cases, stop the process com-
Senior business unit manager,
pletely. YNY Technology (Manufacture)
39
Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

EXPERT TIP: Adopting digital technologies in automation environments can introduce  Back to TOC
potential cybersecurity risks which in turn can significantly disrupt operations. Secure
Networking designed for OT engineers can simplify network security deployment,
ensuring both network protection and availability when transitioning to a converged
infrastructure.

Availability is a vital goal for any OT network, with some critical infrastructure needing
to be available 24/7, all year round. However, every year hundreds of businesses expe-
rience some type of security breach. In many cases these breaches can be very costly
and damaging to their operations and reputation. To most OT engineers, cybersecurity
is complex, unfamiliar territory. To mitigate cybersecurity risks on the road to digital
transformation, combining purpose-built OT networks and cybersecurity measures can
minimize any potential threat to your operations.

Secure networking with defense-in-depth protection is the answer.

Defense-in-depth protection provides a suitable solution for OT engineers. A good

defense starts with solid building blocks to create a secure network infrastructure.
Select security-hardened devices that have passed international security certifica-
tions, or feature security functions based on internationally recognized standards.
The IEC 62443 standard is one of the most prevalent cybersecurity standards ad-
opted worldwide. This standard outlines a defense-in-depth approach and provides
fundamental requirements at the component level, providing a common language
for asset owners, system integrators, and component providers. Standardized criteria
make it a lot easier to procure and integrate network devices. For wireless networks,
the WPA security standard employs robust authentication and encryption algorithms
40
Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

to protect sensitive data in mission-criti-  Back to TOC

Customer’s Voice:
cal network environments.

“To protect the communications

Next, you will need a second layer of
between the power plant controller
protection to guard your network from
and the PCS and BMS containers,
attacks through segmentation and threat
Moxa’s industrial secure routers build
prevention. Some common security con-
the security boundary, and its Modbus
trol technologies include deep packet
DPI function safeguards the Modbus
inspection (DPI) and firewalls. With these
communication in between the
technologies you can build a layered
systems.”
defense to protect your network from
malicious activity or contain breaches to Designer and
isolated zones to minimize damage. manufacturer of energy
storage systems, France

Lastly, it’s important to always be up to

date on the status of your network. Good visibility gives you a better understanding of
your network’s status, from high-level systems all the way to end devices. Dedicated
security management tools can further help OT engineers keep track of the security
status of their network. When it comes to remote operations, having a secure commu-
nication channel backed with strong safety measures lets you enjoy all the benefits of
digital technology without the headaches.

[ Challenge 3 ]:
When the number of connected devices increases from a few dozen to several hundred
or more, it becomes increasingly harder to manually manage such complex networks
with minimum downtime. Not to mention, some applications have special character-
41
Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

istics that complicate matters even more, such as the invisible Wi-Fi connections of  Back to TOC
moving robots in factories. Managing such evolving networks while trying to maximize
uptime can be a daunting task.
Customer’s Voice:
EXPERT TIP: Networks and devices are
becoming more interconnected and the “The operating environment inside
scale of networks keeps growing. Having the steel plant is very demanding
clear network visualization is essential to and can easily affect wireless signals
efficiently configure devices and main- of heavy-duty cranes. To ensure
tain systems on a large scale. Simplified operations run smoothly, we need
management tailored to OT users can reliable software that allows us to
help facilitate network configuration and closely monitor and manage the
management, especially for applications wireless network in real-time.”
with special requirements.
Automation engineer,
Transitioning to digital unified networks Steel plant

means that OT network infrastructure

will inevitably grow in scale and become increasingly complex and interconnected. A
single point of failure could significantly affect the entire OT infrastructure and even
IT networking systems. Therefore, ensuring maximum uptime is critical to keep busi-
ness running smoothly. Having different network devices running on a single, unified
operating system can significantly simplify network configuration and management.
Meanwhile, a holistic monitoring approach allows you to quickly respond to issues and
maximize network uptime.

Visibility is the basis for simplified OT network management.

42
Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

Network management is complicated. Having means to  Back to TOC

visualize the network from an OT engineer’s perspective
is important. Unlike IT engineers who are used to dealing
with programming language, field engineers may prefer
more streamlined, visualized interfaces. An OT-friendly
network management tool with an accessible user inter-
face featuring real-time network topologies, charts, and
device security status would allow opera- Customer’s Voice:
tors to remotely view the status of the net-
work and devices at any time. Moreover, “With Moxa industrial network
some applications also have distributed management software, we can now
networks that span large physical areas easily identify where issues occur,
such as traffic light networks. Having the drastically reducing the time required
ability to remotely manage devices from a to resolve power supply problems.
central location can save a lot of resources This streamlined system helps prevent
and time and is a lot more efficient. shutdowns and reduces restoration
time when they occur.”
Considering some applications may have
special requirements, a purpose-built Engineer,
management module tailored for spe- Electricity Authority

cific networking environments can

strengthen functional reliability. For example, the quality of the
wireless connections between Wi-Fi devices often determines
the efficiency of autonomous mobile robots (AMR) in an automated factory. Given that
Wi-Fi links are invisible and dynamic, being able to make real-time snapshots of the
wireless network to locate robots and spot potential issues can significantly improve
automation efficiency. 43
Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

Applying Digital Transformation in Industrial Applications  Back to TOC

— Focusing on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
Expanding urbanization, and the resulting increase in traffic congestion and carbon
emissions, are driving the importance
of ITS. Not to mention, ITS is a key
component for developing smart cities
and smart transportation. A recent sur-
vey* showed that the global ITS market
size is expected to reach USD 42.80 bil-
lion by 2028, expanding at a CAGR of
9.34% between 2021 and 2028. As more
and more transportation infrastructure
systems are becoming interconnected, reliable data communication will be essential.

Keep the following three considerations in mind to help you avoid unexpected road-
blocks as you transition to a fully digitalized network.

 Reliability:
Most traffic network devices are deployed in harsh outdoor environments, making
industrial durability a key requirement. The network backbone needs to be able to sup-
port transmissions of large volumes of data between roadside equipment and the traf-
fic control center, including road condition, traffic signal, and video surveillance data.
Building your network around high bandwidth, high performance, and expandability
can help prepare you for more device additions in the future. Since smooth transpor-
tation relies on a consistent stream of traffic data, the entire network also needs to be
resilient and sufficiently redundant to ensure that data is continuously transmitted.
44
Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

 Security:  Back to TOC

According to Cybertalk.org, between June 2020 and June 2021, the transportation
industry witnessed a 186 % increase in weekly ransomware attacks*. If successful, these
attacks can heavily disrupt city traffic and lead to serious injury or worse. Combining
network and OT security disciplines and capabilities can help you manage reliability
and risk more efficiently. Because a lot of traffic network devices are installed outside
and are vulnerable to tampering, secure hardware can ensure network safety at the
edge. In addition, it’s also important to have threat prevention mechanisms, segment-
ed IT and OT networks, and have secure network management capabilities. Having
these safety measures in place can help block malicious traffic, mitigate damage in the
event of a breach, and proactively perform the necessary actions when spotting abnor-
malities while monitoring the network.

 Simplified Management:
To manage these interconnected, distributed network devices efficiently, being able to
configure, monitor, and diagnose the traffic network from a central location can save
a lot of time and resources. When field engineers install new network devices, opera-
tional engineers no longer need to drive miles away to configure the device on-site.
Instead, the devices can now be easily set up from a remote control center. If there is
an issue, instead of sending out engineers in the blazing sun or during a stormy night
to inspect physical devices cabinet by cabinet, a user-friendly and intuitive network
management system can help engineers understand the network status remotely and
enable them to take the necessary actions.

* Market research report of intelligent transportation system (2021-2028), Fortune Busi-

ness Insights
45
Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

CASE STUDY  Back to TOC

Building Futureproof Traffic Infrastructure for a Safer and
More Efficient City
Forward-thinking cities like the City of Lancaster, USA, recognize the importance of
using advanced networking technology to enhance interconnectivity to build a new
Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) solution. More than 140 traffic cabinets
needed to be connected to the fiber network and ATMS, so all traffic cabinets and
remote assets could be managed from one central
location. This provides the city with real-time data
and predictive intelligence to improve operations,
such as allowing operators to adapt to traffic inci-
dents and congestion.

They used a number of Moxa’s switches to build

the network infrastructure that brought full Gigabit
speed all the way out to the edge, futureproofing
the network to support the data and video needs of today and tomorrow. The city gov-
ernment was very satisfied with their reliability and ruggedness. Mitch Megas, Lancast-
er City transportation engineer, remembers vividly that one of their cabinets was en-
ergized with high voltage from an Edison line, and the only component in the cabinet
that was still functioning was the Moxa switch.

Moreover, with Moxa’s network management software, they can monitor the entire
city’s network operation status and conduct a network security audit when necessary
and quickly respond to incidents. In the past, the engineering team could only passive-
ly wait for the public to report traffic signal malfunctions before they could schedule
46
Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

repairs. Now they can react immediately as soon as something is malfunctioning. This  Back to TOC
not only makes their job easier, but also increases maintenance and operational effi-
ciency.”

What is a SMART CITY?

The City of Lancaster is using
advanced techology data, and
predictive intelligence to im-
prove operations.

Paving the Way for

Futureproof
Transportation
Our futureproof network solu-
tions provide you with a reliable foundation to upgrade your transportation sys-
tems, turning ideas and opportunities into real advantages and benefits.

ITS applications typically need higher band- Customer’s Voice:

width, such as multi-Gigabit uplinks to support
the large volumes of video data. Meanwhile, “With the support of digital
the rising trend of automated vehicles is ex- network infrastructure, the city
pected to raise data demands even more. government reduced the need
Moxa’s EDS-4000 Series, a set of security-hard- for human intervention by 67%
ened managed Ethernet switches compliant and eased personal workloads.”
with the IEC 62443-4-2 standard, is designed
to provide futureproof capabilities for the next City of Lancaster, USA
47
Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

decade. These switches are fast Ethernet switches with the option for four Gigabit  Back to TOC
SFP uplink ports, and support 90 W IEEE 802.3bt PoE ports to power devices such as
outdoor PTZ cameras. The Turbo Ring and Turbo Chain technologies offer fast net-
work redundancy to make sure your operations are always up and running. Meanwhile,
scheduled operating system upgrades along with welldefined vulnerability responses
and management enhance availability and security for dynamic transportation markets.

In addition, the EDS-4000 Series supports centralized network device configuration and
management through Moxa’s industrial network management software, MXview, to
streamline configurations and reduce the workload of traffic operators. Lastly, when com-
bined with the EDR-G9010 Series secure routers, traffic operators can worry less about
cyberattacks on their critical network and focus more on developing smart transportation.

— Focusing on Power Substations

Substations are an integral component of distributed power grids. Their controlling
and coordinating function are vitally important to the stability of the overall power
system. However, the power industry is now
facing the emergence of new trends and
challenges including the integration of more
renewable energy sources and increasing
electricity demand. Digitalized substations
are becoming a necessity to accommodate
and balance these new dynamics and to
achieve operational resilience. To successfully
transform substations, optimizing the flexibility and availability of the underlying criti-
cal network communication is paramount.
48
Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

Since power substations are critical infrastructure, keep the following three consider-  Back to TOC
ations in mind when implementing digitalization.

 Reliability:
For substation communications, availability and reliability are crucial. Any kind of pack-
et loss is unacceptable. Since network devices at substations are often deployed in
very harsh operating environments, they must be rugged enough to withstand extreme
temperatures and high electromagnetic interference. Equally important to ensure net-
work availability are robust redundancy mechanisms to avoid interruptions and mini-
mize recovery times. Network devices that support the IEEE 1588 Precision Time Pro-
tocol (PTP) are also an invaluable component of substation network reliability. Precise
time synchronization makes sure substation devices inside merging units have accurate
clocks, giving operators pinpoint control and letting them respond to any problems
immediately.

 Security:
Cybersecurity has been recognized as a critical issue for substations. With the line
between IT and OT fading rapidly, a properly segmented network helps protect critical
network communications. This involves setting up the right router and switch config-
uration, and managing safety mechanisms including firewall rules, access control, and
authorization and authentication policies.

Remote access to substation networks is a common but vulnerable way for operators
to monitor and maintain a widely distributed power grid. To protect utilities from cyber
threats and breaches, a secure form of remote access such as IEC 61850 certified VPN
solutions allows operators to safely monitor the intelligent electrical devices (IEDs)
49
Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

in each remote substation. Combining secure-hardened devices and secure network  Back to TOC
management capabilities can create holistic defense-in-depth network protection to
keep critical industrial networks safe.

 Simplified Management:
Digital substation systems need to operate 24 hours a day, all year around. To improve
network management and operations while avoiding unnecessary outages, real-time
monitoring is of utmost importance. The ability to visualize physical network topolo-
gies on-screen offers major advantages, especially when there is an issue. It can help
operators quickly identify the source of the problem and respond immediately, signifi-
cantly reducing recovery times.

CASE STUDY
Power Up Economic Growth for a Smart City in Thailand
The city of Pattaya, Thailand, was chosen for the pilot test of a Provincial Electricity
Authority (PEA) program to transform cities throughout
Thailand into smart cities, in part to provide the electricity
needed to power economic growth. Backed by the PEA, the
project aimed to transform the city’s power grid by mov-
ing from manual processes for identifying power delivery
issues to an automated one that minimizes the occurrence
and duration of power outages using smart grid technolo-
gy. The PEA partnered with Italthai Engineering, the leading engineering contractor in
Thailand, and Moxa to implement this overhaul.

A crucial element of smart grids are smart substations. To ensure a smooth transition
50
Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

to smart power infrastructure, Moxa provided expertise and assistance with design-  Back to TOC
ing the topology to help the PEA move from an outdated, 30-year-old system with
a wide variety of equipment brands, models, and types to a system with a simplified
and standardized design. The new smart infrastructure enabled substations to oper-
ate automatically and achieve real-time communication. Moreover, with Moxa’s net-
work management software, operators were able to easily identify issues and respond
quickly, drastically reducing the time required
to address power supply problems. The new
upgraded systems helped prevent shutdowns
and shorten recovery times whenever issues
occurred. The best practices developed during
this pilot project can now be used by the PEA
to achieve the same level of success when de-
ploying similar upgrades in other pilot cities.

Energizing Substations With Digital Networks

Our futureproof network solutions provide you with a reliable foundation to retro-
fit or build new digital substation systems, maximizing operational efficiency and
minimizing outages.

Digital substations depend heavily on seamless communication between devices to

achieve substation automation. Moxa’s RKS-G4000 Series industrial rackmount switch-
es can handle large numbers of links and operate reliably in harsh conditions. These
IEC 61850-3 and IEEE 1613 certified switches provide robust protection against a vari-
ety of environmental hazards such as electromagnetic interference (EMI) to ensure crit-
ical packets are reliably transmitted. The hardware-based IEEE 1588 PTP features for
51
Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

high-precision time synchronization ensure the accuracy of the communication. Mean-  Back to TOC
while, the intuitive user interface and integration with Moxa’s industrial network man-
agement software gives operators full network visibility and simplifies management.

Facing rising concerns over security threats, the RKS-G4000 Series has passed the IEC
62443-4-2 international security standard, providing protection for the critical Ether-
net network from the device-level up. Integrating our EDR-G9010 Series industrial
secure routers into your critical networks adds an additional security boundary to cre-
ate a first line network defense. These secure routers support Deep Packet Inspection
(DPI) which examines the data portion of network packets for various power-specific
protocols. They also act as an IEC 61850 certified VPN firewall to create a multilayered
defense for its multiple Gigabit connections. With these combined features, operators
can achieve long-term functional reliability for their Ethernet network and make full use
of the digital substation technology.

CONCLUSION:
Get Ready to Futureproof Your Networks
Digital transformation is a striving goal for any industry looking to achieve operation-
al resilience. Seamless and real-time data communication is the cornerstone of IT/OT
convergence, allowing data to flow smoothly between on-site end devices and the
control center to guarantee uninterrupted operations. We are witnessing how indus-
trial networks are evolving in this new direction. In response, we are redefining what it
means to futureproof networks. We hope the tips provided in this guidebook will help
you smoothen your network operations and futureproof your business.

52
Essential Tips for Building Futureproof Industrial Networks

MOXA  Back to TOC

Your Trusted Partner in Automation
Moxa is a leading provider of edge connectivity, industrial computing, and network
infrastructure solutions for enabling connectivity for the Industrial Internet of Things
(IIoT). With 35 years of industry experience, Moxa has connected more than 82 million
devices worldwide and has a distribution and service network that reaches customers
in more than 80 countries. Moxa delivers lasting business value by empowering indus-
tries with reliable networks and sincere service. Information about Moxa’s solutions is
available at www.moxa.com

53
Plant instrumentation and
controls: Issues and drivers  Back to TOC

Instrumentation and controls (I&C) operators are dealing with aging

equipment that doesn’t allow them to take advantage of modern
technology’s benefits, which can give them access to real-time information
that allows them to make better decisions.

T he needs of today’s business world are dynamic. The ways we communicate, in-
form, collect data, analyze and report have gone through many changes. Now, the
pace is accelerating. Operators are asking whether it is time to update the technology
or face the consequences of falling behind.

Industrial plant operators should keep from falling behind. Running a plant with aging
instrumentation and controls (I&C) presents a major challenge for plant management.
Operators face various age-related issues such sensors out of calibration, blocked
impulse lines, spurious shutdowns, seized valves, and failed actuators. The result is the
reliability of the system is uncertain and plant safety is at stake.

Furthermore, aging instrumentation and control systems are likely to present problems
as the company undergoes a digital transformation. The older platforms are not only
unable to provide the increased data a digitally transformed enterprise expects, but they
may not even be able to communicate in the new business environment. In addition,
since no system today is secure through obscurity, it could present cybersecurity risks.

As illustrated in Figure 1, several questions come to mind. For instance, is it worth the
cost to continue to operate and maintain the aging system? What are the benefits and
54
Plant instrumentation and controls: Issues and drivers

added value of a new sys-  Back to TOC

tem? Even more serious
is whether the existing
system is safe to continue
operating.

I&C moderniza-
tion possibilities
I&C modernization proj-
ects are generally con-
sidered infrastructure
projects. A tendency is
to simply scope the dis-
tributed control system
(DCS) while overlooking
other risks or issues with connected equipment, Figure 1: Questions that come to mind when
considering instrumentation and control (I&C)
which could also be obsolete. Many manag- system modernization. Courtesy: Yokogawa
ers view the modernization project as a purely
defensive move. The main objective is to overcome the failings of the older system or
instruments but otherwise keep the unit or plant exactly as it has been.

Such a “like-for-like” approach can be successful if the only desired outcome is recre-
ating the status quo. Many projects are designed along those lines. The problem with
this approach is a major lost opportunity. Once again, it could impede digital transfor-
mation and present cybersecurity risks. It could also make it difficult to upgrade tech-
nology or transition to open architecture in the future.
55
Plant instrumentation and controls: Issues and drivers

Such a project is a major undertaking and can only be successful if addressed with care-  Back to TOC
ful planning. In the end, the risks of an unsuccessful project are serious. Costs can spiral
out of control and production can be disrupted. Poorly configured systems or instru-
ments can have trouble controlling the process. On the other hand, when planned well,
a modernization project, even a large-scale system migration, can move from phase to
phase on time and within budget, resulting in significant operational improvements.

Three modernization drivers

It is remarkable many DCS platforms, which were designed and installed in the 1970s
and 1980s, have provided outstanding longevity. Unfortunately, these systems are
showing their age. In many cases, much of the equipment needs to be upgraded or
perhaps undergo a full migration to a new DCS and modernizing the plant.

What drives plant modernization? These three challenges are the biggest reasons for
plant modernization projects:

1. Obsolescence

2. Regulatory compliance; health, safety and environmental (HSE) issues

3. Digital transformation/transformation to operational excellence

1. Obsolescence
Operating a plant with aging instrumentation and controls creates several potential
problems for operators and the production process. In addition to the age-related
issues cited earlier, the documentation for most control systems including process and
56
Plant instrumentation and controls: Issues and drivers

instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), control  Back to TOC

narratives, strategies, and control system
utilization is likely not up to date. It’s also
likely the company lacks a complete spare
parts inventory, with some parts no longer
available. Old control system platforms
and instrumentation increase the risk of
failure and production interruptions. They
also lack many of the capabilities of newer
systems for improving plant performance.

The obsolescence dilemma

According to ARC Advisory Group, failure rate data for au- Figure 2: The top three
drivers for I&C modernization.
tomation systems is not precise and supporting information
Courtesy: Yokogawa
presents a wide range of actual failure rate experiences. In
many plants users do keep track of failures, but the failure
analysis is not sufficient to help predict end-of-life accurately. By observing the theoret-
ical “bathtub curve” chart originated by NASA (please refer to Figure 4), the question
arises whether it is a valid analysis. For many automations systems, the time along the
x-axis ends up in a range of between 15 and 50 years. The lack of precision in deter-
mining asset end-of-life make decisions around this important area difficult.

2. Regulatory compliance; health, safety and environmental (HSE) issues

In today’s industrial manufacturing operations, there is increased emphasis on health, safe-
ty, and the environment. Unfortunately, accidents continue to occur in many facilities even
after the installation of safety systems and other precautions initially considered adequate.
57
Plant instrumentation and controls: Issues and drivers

Over the past 25+ years, the  Back to TOC

process industry has wit-
nessed a continual evolution
of process safety standards.
The main intent of these
industry standards is to pro-
vide guidance and best prac-
tices to manage the inherent
risks associated with the
manufacture and handling
of chemicals, hydrocarbons,
Figure 3: Typical plant and
and other hazardous materials. In 2018, the North American equipment lifecycles. Courtesy:
and international versions converged to create the ANSI/ Yokogawa
ISA-61511-2018 / IEC 61511:2016, Functional Safety – Safety
Instrumented Systems for the Process Industry Sector. This standard is now the primary
driving force, globally, behind the work processes to design, implement, operate, and
maintain safety instrumented systems.

3. Digital transformation/transformation to operational excellence

According to ARC Advisory Group, for many plant owners, obsolescence alone cannot
justify the execution of a large capital upgrade project. Instead, enhanced functionality
and system performance to improve operational excellence are major criteria impact-
ing funding decisions.

Eight issues, risks and opportunities as drivers

Enhanced functionality is the concept of a plant of factory’s capability to implement
58
Plant instrumentation and controls: Issues and drivers

the latest technologies and  Back to TOC

innovations to deal with a wide
range of challenges in a certain
industry related to technology.
To deal with these challenges in
the future, new technologies or
innovations might be necessary.
If the installed base of instru-
mentation and systems cannot
support new technologies, an
upgrade or even a complete
replacement could be required. Figure 4: The “bathtub curve” hazard function
In such a case, these “platforms for the future” (blue, upper solid line) is a combination of a
decreasing hazard of early failure (red dotted
could trigger plant modernization.
line) and an increasing hazard of wear-out
failure (yellow dotted line), plus some constant
1. Cybersecurity hazard of random failure (green, lower solid
line). This curve is widely used in reliability
The continuous evolution of the control system engineering and it describes a particular form
has enabled organizations to protect the in- of the hazard function. Courtesy: Yokogawa
vestment in equipment and control strategies
over long periods of time. However, interfacing decades-old controllers with current
technology also makes this equipment indirectly vulnerable to attack. All these systems
have one common denominator: they experience gaps in support. This makes them
more vulnerable than contemporary systems.

Modern systems support new cybersecurity approaches, which often transcend bud-
geting cycles due to their coincidence with industrial asset insurance, HSE, and disas-
59
Plant instrumentation and controls: Issues and drivers

ter recovery strategies. The cybersecurity strategy has transitioned from a problem to  Back to TOC
fix to a risk to manage. When businesses look at cybersecurity in this manner, it re-
moves the mystery and becomes an issue upon which management can act.

New I&C systems accommodate the evolving cybersecurity landscape in which threats
continue to change. No longer distracted by technological issues, management can
focus on risks.

2. The evolving workforce

Finding experienced personnel is already a major challenge for the process industries.
An executive at a major refining company stated his company lost 2500 years of experi-
ence when 100 operators retired.

Research has shown the largest reason for unscheduled downtime is operational or
human error, which accounts for 42% of the unscheduled shutdowns in the process
industries. However, there are ways to assist operators in making the best decisions at
times of increased stress such as during start-up, transitions, or upon the occurrence of
abnormal conditions. With increased emphasis on personal safety, performance man-
agement, continuous improvement and training, companies are investing in their peo-
ple and are eager to apply emerging technologies.

3. Control room design

An appropriately designed control room will make people feel relaxed and secure. As
a result, operators and managers can fully concentrate on plant operations and sta-
bility. Improvements in data integrity and data availability accelerate communication
between units to optimize the total operation.
60
Plant instrumentation and controls: Issues and drivers

4. Modular procedural automation  Back to TOC

There are many more benefits to deployment of ISA TR106, Modular Procedural Au-
tomation (MPA), than would meet the eye. MPA digitalizes standard operating proce-
dures, which are critical to achieving safety and efficiency. MPA helps ensure the know-
how of experienced operators is maintained in the procedure flows and provides new
operators opportunities to learn more about the process. KPIs accomplished could
include significant reductions in the number of operator actions, number of alarms
handled per operator, and time-to-stability during transitions in the process.

In addition, the digitalized procedures could be supplemented with a digital twin. The
digital twin emulates the human operator in real time and incorporates deep knowledge
of the process, standard operating procedures, and human behavior across many situa-
tions. Advanced decision support allows testing of “what if?” and “what’s best?” scenar-
ios to determine available strategies that not only improve human operator performance
but improve quality, safety, process uptime and process performance, as well.

Companies whose process control systems use a significant number of manual operator
procedures can also use the digital twin as a springboard from semi-automated opera-
tions to fully autonomous operations. Since the MPA solution could be used in conjunc-
tion with the existing system, it provides flexibility to the modernization project.

5. Human-machine interfaces (HMIs)

Safe and efficient operations rely on the ability of the operations staff to quickly iden-
tify potential process deviations before the situation reaches an unsafe or undesirable
production condition.

61
Plant instrumentation and controls: Issues and drivers

Modern HMIs pro-  Back to TOC

vide compliance
with Abnormal Situ-
ation Management
(ASM) Consortium
recommendations
including a stan-
dardized symbol li-
brary, which clarifies
process operations.
Modern HMIs support features today’s mobile de- Figure 5: MPA combines the best procedures
from all operators into a best-practice
vice users expect such as augmented reality and
standard operating procedure. Courtesy:
virtual reality (AR/VR) functions, which enhance Yokogawa
the operator experience.

Today’s systems also fully support autonomous remote operations. Although much of
this functionality was available prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the pandemic expedit-
ed end user acceptance. In contemporary manufacturing, operators and technicians
need not be located physically on-site.

6. Operator training system (OTS)

Given the challenge presented by the retirement of many operators, especially those
who are familiar with efficient and safe operations, early training of new operators and
successful knowledge transfer from more experienced operators has become critical.

Today’s process simulators provide excellent solutions by depicting actual process op-
62
Plant instrumentation and controls: Issues and drivers

erations, including problem and anomaly scenarios. The simulators improve the quality  Back to TOC
of operator responses and timeliness of actions taken in response to process upsets
and incidents. If a digital twin is used in conjunction with the OTS, it can be regularly
updated with actual events.

7. Alarm management
Modernization projects often present excellent opportunities to boost alarm man-
agement quality and effectiveness. Alarm management and alarm system rational-
ization can substantially reduce the number of alarms to which operators must react.
By preventing operator overload, they ensure appropriate and timely reactions to
important alarms.

8. Collaborative mobile robots

Despite these advances, manufacturers continue to experience staffing difficulties.
At the same time, concerns about staff well-being and personal safety are increasing.
Collaborative mobile robots represent an emerging solution. In place of human opera-
tors or technicians, the robots can venture into hazardous areas for inspection rounds.
Drones can operate in situations where heights present hazards. Today’s audio-visual
and sensing technologies can emulate human sensing in a manner that makes the ro-
bots effective.

Advanced technology benefits for I&C projects

Contemporary systems make it easier to inject new technologies such as artificial intel-
ligence and digital twins into the architecture. Advanced process control (APC) is one
example of a technology end-users can justify with a proven return-on-investment (ROI)
track record.
63
Plant instrumentation and controls: Issues and drivers

By now, since virtually ev-  Back to TOC

ery industrial process in
the world is under auto-
matic control, APC is the
logical next step. APC
has already been imple-
mented in many facilities
with varying degrees of
success. Today, APC sub-
ject matter experts have
learned how to produce
solid results.

Figure 6: APC cost vs. benefits.

Multi-variable control (MVC) is the key component of Courtesy: Yokogawa
an APC platform. It enables optimum process stabiliza-
tion and results in increased productivity. MVC achieves this by predictive control using
process dynamic models, which are proving to increase throughput, conserve energy,
and reduce quality giveaway.

Today’s more user-friendly advanced control and real-time optimization tools are play-
ing a larger role in maintaining profitable, competitive operations. APC solutions pro-
vide many advantages for the process units, such as:

• Improved process yields

• Increased throughput
64
Plant instrumentation and controls: Issues and drivers

 Back to TOC

Figure 7: APC return-on-investment in terms

• Reduced energy consumption
of benefits per year. Courtesy: Yokogawa

• Improved process stability

Operational improvements such as those shown in Figure 6 can trigger plant modern-
ization and are often used to justify the costs.

Benefits of upgrading
Since the pace of technological advancements has been accelerating, plant operators
are finding it more difficult to justify the maintenance of aging or obsolete instrumen-
tation and control (I&C) systems. While many systems have worked more reliably and

65
have lasted much longer than expected, today, they present too many risks. Those in-
Plant instrumentation and controls: Issues and drivers

clude not only cybersecurity, but emerging expectations in terms of health, safety, and  Back to TOC
environmental (HSE) issues and sustainability.

New demands such as support of digital transformations and initiatives that address
emerging needs of the evolving workforce allow management to justify an investment
in I&C modernization. If the new system enables the deployment of technology such as
advanced process control (APC), the resulting operational improvements can be used
to justify the costs.

Kevin Finnan
Kevin Finnan is a Market Intelligence and Strategy Advisor at Yokogawa. He was pre-
viously an independent consultant, Vice President of Marketing for CSE-Semaphore,
and Director of Marketing at Bristol Babcock. He has over 30 years of experience in a
variety of vertical markets and has launched more than 40 products in automation and
measurement technologies.

66
Three words that demystify
digital transformation  Back to TOC

The term “digital transformation” is heard so often in the industrial space

that it’s taken on buzzword status, but what does it actually mean? See three
words that help clarify and demystify what digital transformation means.

What is digital transformation and how did we get here?

To better understand digital transformation, let’s look back to see how we got to this
point. Over the last several years we’ve seen a variety of buzzwords splashed across
the headlines. There was the cloud, which led to big data, followed by the edge and
the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to collect all this data and bring it into a cen-
tralized system. Big Data became bigger data, which had people turning to solutions
like machine learning (ML) in the cloud. At this point, if you didn’t have a team of data
scientists on retainer, you were told you could still fully realize the power of Industry 4.0
by using artificial intelligence (AI).

Unfortunately, many companies spent years following these trends without seeing
meaningful return on investment (ROI). While these technologies certainly have value,
they are only part of a bigger picture. Digital transformation isn’t a one-and-done solu-
tion, it’s a project management methodology that will be a lens to view all improve-
ments going forward, and something to help you effectively apply new technologies in
the future.

Ultimately, digital transformation is a reality check for the buzzword era. It’s the idea
of looking at processes to see room for improvement, then improving those areas by
leveraging the technology from all these other movements. Gone are the days of tech-
67
Three words that demystify digital transformation

nology for the sake of technology. With digital transformation, it’s being replaced with  Back to TOC
intentional, methodical and measurable improvement. To fully grasp what digital trans-
formation is all about, think of it in terms of these three key words: processes, people
and programs.

1. Processes
Industrial organizations each have their own unique process, and the ability to quickly
adjust or create new processes is critical. Streamlining processes for efficiency is one of
the main opportunities in this area, and the integration of digital technologies such as
cloud, edge or machine learning can help with this.

It’s important to note the distinction between mere digitalization and digital transfor-
mation. Digitalization simply puts a process into a computer, whereas digital transfor-
mation revolutionizes how a process is completed. Rather than just tacking on new
technologies to your process, you want to see your process from a bird’s eye view, and
make holistic changes, with the outcome of tangible results in mind. Explaining this
crucial difference to people can be a little challenging, but it makes a huge difference.

Additionally, locating the problem can take time, and scaling out processes can be
difficult. Another potential obstacle is the “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” mentality that is
often found wherever there are entrenched ways of doing things.

2. People
In order for a digital strategy to be successful, you need to take the human factor into
consideration. Key stakeholders must be on board with the strategy, and staffing is also
critical because you need the right people in the right positions to make it happen.
68
Three words that demystify digital transformation

Opportunity abounds in this area, as communication and collaboration need to be im-  Back to TOC
proved across the entire organization. The wider availability of data empowers people
to make better decisions, and your workforce will transform as people learn new skills
to effectively use the additional data.

As Jan Madsen, founder of Enuda AB (an Ignition Premier Integrator) said, “The over-
all purpose of digital transformation is, and should always be, to change some human
behavior … there’s a lot of engineering and a lot of technologies involved in this, but
at the end of the day, it’s about that: Helping people to make better decisions.”

Some obstacles you might face in this area include fixed mindsets resistant to
change and perceptions that digital transformation is time-consuming, difficult, risky,
has a steep learning curve or poses a threat to cybersecurity. It’s important to ac-
knowledge these concerns while helping people understand that practical solutions
are available.

3. Programs
Programs are the “digital” part of digital transformation, and the main way you lever-
age new technologies and trends. Think of programs as the tools in your digital trans-
formation toolbox. For example, if one of your goals is to improve operational efficien-
cy, you might employ machine learning programs to help calculate efficiency.

When it comes to integrating digital technology, what’s most important is that any new
technology you add works alongside what you already have in place, since you’ll main-
ly be working in brownfield (rather than greenfield) situations. Digital transformation
usually means transforming something that already exists.
69
Three words that demystify digital transformation

Major opportunities in this area include improved operational efficiency, time and  Back to TOC
money savings, and removing limits imposed by outdated technology. When you’re
working with up-to-date technologies, things that before seemed too difficult, compli-
cated or expensive to attempt suddenly seem easier to accomplish.

Of course, it’s important to be aware of potential obstacles in this area of your digital
transformation strategy. There’s a risk of downtime and disruption, compatibility issues
between new and existing programs and the simple fact that integration can be down-
right difficult.

The future awaits

Hopefully, you now have a clearer understanding of what digital transformation really
is, and the opportunities and obstacles to look out for when creating a digital strategy.
By remembering the three P’s of processes, people and programs, you’ll be well pre-
pared to truly transform your business and lead it into a very bright future.

Kent Melville
Author, Inductive Automation

70
Next steps for digital transformation
for manufacturers  Back to TOC

With many industrial organizations now having taken their first digitalization
steps, there are potential disruptions for manufacturers with their digital
transformation journeys.

J ulian Annison, digital transformation director at Emerson, believes the main drivers
of digital transformation – such as achieving improved energy and emissions man-
agement, enhancing safety and increasing operational reliability – will remain much
the same within the process and manufacturing industries. “There always needed to
be a business purpose behind digitalization and that is still the case,” he said. “What
is changing, however, is that organizations are now expected to achieve these business
improvements while also having to meet tough environmental sustainability and decar-
bonization targets – both in the short term and up to 2050.”

Annison went on to point out that the increasing pressure and expectation from stake-
holders has created a step-change in the way digital transformation is being perceived
and is accelerating the need to not only implement the latest digital technologies but
also to adapt work practices. “Whereas digital transformation was once merely regard-
ed as a desirable objective, with organisations perhaps willing to trial small pilot proj-
ects, it is now often viewed as being fundamental to survival, with the need for much
broader implementation acknowledged,” he said.

According to Annison, meeting environmental sustainability targets in the short term,

up to 2030, is a challenge that can be tackled by implementing digital technologies
that are already available. “Many plants have been designed to run with the minimum
71
Next steps for digital transformation for manufacturers

viable automation, so introducing digital solutions designed to improve safety and reli-  Back to TOC
ability, optimize production and meet sustainability targets is quickly achievable. How-
ever, meeting environmental sustainability targets up to 2040 or even 2050 will require
a significant increase in the rate of digital transformation and a complete change in
mindset on how digital technology should be used.”

Offering an example, he pointed to electrification and carbon capture, utilization and

storage (CCUS) projects which have a vital role to play in reducing emissions, and
which require new levels of inter-company collaboration and technological interoper-
ability to manage process and operational data. Another important way to help meet
longer-term environmental sustainability targets is through the use of new assets that
are no longer just built to run, but are instead autonomous-ready, with digital technol-
ogies and the concept of digital transformation built in from the very outset. This will
then enable them to evolve and adapt to meet changing regulatory requirements over
the coming decades.

“In recent years, many organizations have equipped their plants with digital technol-
ogies that enable them to create and collect vital data in areas such as equipment
health and emissions,” continued Annison. “However, data is only beneficial when
meaningful outcomes can be generated from it. Data management is therefore a fun-
damental requirement and the next step on the digital transformation journey of many
companies is to put in place technologies that enable data to be collected from multi-
ple sources, visualized and analyzed, to create actionable insights.”

Ushering in a new era of data management capabilities, Annison believes the latest
software platforms unify people, data and systems to drive improved operational per-
72
Next steps for digital transformation for manufacturers

formance and plant efficiency through automated workflows, advanced analytics and  Back to TOC
enhanced decision support. “These platforms provide a single location to manage,
protect, and easily integrate operational technology (OT) data with information tech-
nology (IT) tools and cloud applications, enabling organizations to seamlessly connect
people, processes and data. In this collaborative environment, operational data from
disparate sources can be securely and efficiently collected, contextualized, and trans-
formed into actionable information that can be delivered to all decision-makers via
personalized content and dashboards.

“Organizations can also improve their business outcomes by moving from predictive
to prescriptive maintenance practices,” continued Annison. “A variety of technologies
can be used to provide predictive maintenance by monitoring the condition of plant
assets and issuing an alert when there is an issue. However, this still requires manual
intervention to carry out the recommended corrective action, which can sometimes
lead to a break in the chain. The latest intelligent digital technologies can go a step
further by enabling prescriptive maintenance. Because these technologies are capable
of understanding problems and knowing what is causing them, they can not only iden-
tify and flag up issues but also automatically take actions to resolve them. This then
creates a ‘closed loop’ application that can form part of an autonomous-ready plant.”

Welcome to the Metaverse

The process and manufacturing sectors are continuing to expand their digital footprint
in order to improve operational efficiency, reduce waste, and enable intelligent control
of sensors and actuators used at the edge of the factory floor. “As the full capabilities
of the digital factory come to life, a new need has emerged to implement intelligence
and seamless connectivity to ensure operational data is bi-directionally transferred be-
73
Next steps for digital transformation for manufacturers

tween the edge equipment and the cloud,” points out Jeff DeAngelis, vice president  Back to TOC
Digital Factory, Industrial Automation at Analog Devices.

“In order to support the full capabilities of the digital factory performance, DeAngelis
believes that the next big disruptor in industrial automation will be the ability to seam-
lessly move data between the Digital World (DW) and the Real World (RW) equipment
on the factory floor. “This evolution of the digital factory allows the plant to self-reg-
ulate its performance and adjust its parameters to match the predicted performance
of its digital twin to its RW performance at the edge on the factory floor. This future
vision and capability to seamlessly move data between the DW and RW is sometimes
referred to as the Industrial Metaverse.

It’s all about Ethernet

Benedikt Rauscher, head of global IoT projects and Industry 4.0 at Pepperl+Fuchs,
believes that Ethernet will become the common basic communication technology for
data from and to any field device in the process industry – in the same way that it al-
ready is in the manufacturing sector.

“Ethernet-APL is entering the market now. The first components are available and
bring Ethernet-based protocols to the field level – in an intrinsically safe way,” he said.
“The proven IT-technology is tailored for the specific needs of process plants such as
intrinsic safety Ex-i and 2-wire installation for power and communication with terminal
screws. In parallel, remote IO-systems are able to offer ways to connect conventional
4-20mA/HART devices to Ethernet infrastructures. The seamless usage of Ethernet in
process automation is sure to speed up the digital transformation.”

74
Next steps for digital transformation for manufacturers

Another consideration highlighted by Rauscher is the asset administration shell. “Its  Back to TOC
basic standardization is finalized and the concept is ready to use,” he said. “Now in
nearly every automation domain, experts from all major manufacturers, academia and
standardization bodies are working on definitions of specific submodels to open stan-
dardized ways to access properties, descriptions, documentations or live data from any
asset – in a completely manufacturer-independent way. It will no longer be necessary
to implement proprietary protocols or tools or to search for information manually,”
continued Rauscher.

The concept of the asset administration shell will enable a completely digital information
interchange from machine-to-machine what will simplify processes all over the life cycle
of technical assets. “The submodel ‘digital nameplate,’ as a first example, demonstrates
the potential of asset administration shells for the digital transformation. Identification
data of assets from different manufacturers is provided digitally in a completely ma-
chine-readable format and can directly be used by digital services,” he concluded.

Barrier-free
According to Dr Frank Possel-Dölken, chief digital officer at Phoenix Contact, the next
big disruptor will be seamless, barrier-free data logistics based on the International
Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) data container standards which drive marginal costs
for new and additional data flows down towards zero.

“In the context of Industry 4.0, we often hear the statement that ‘data is the modern
oil’. However, the ‘new oil boom’ has so far failed to materialise,” said Possel-Dölken.
“Looking through economic statistics for evidence of the predicted efficiency / produc-
tivity potentials seems to be in vain.”
75
Next steps for digital transformation for manufacturers

Explaining further, Possel-Dölken pointed out that the current processes for data  Back to TOC
transmission within one and between several companies are very time-consuming
and costly; establishing new data connections requires more than generation costs
of almost zero. “For data transmission from one system to another, the data needs
to be unpacked, checked, reorganized, and packed again – in fact, before it is even
sent and possibly also after it has been received. This process includes many activ-
ities and thus is extremely prone to errors. Consequently, comprehensive testing is
necessary to ensure operability. This requires large amounts of time and money, and
a lot of resources,” he said.

The situation in manufacturing companies plays a key role here: “Companies use a
variety of IT systems to implement their business models. Large core applications
are, for example, product lifecycle management (PLM), enterprise resource manage-
ment (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems – digital heavy-
weights and highly integrated system environments! These are usually based on an
individual and consistent central data model for which different functional modules
are available that are often closely interlinked. Because a large number of business
and work processes are managed end-to-end across several of these software appli-
cations, broad and complex interfaces usually exist between the core applications.

“Today, we find ourselves about 40 years after the beginning of the age of Comput-
er-integrated Manufacturing (CIM) – and we are far from having seamless, barrier-free
data logistics. In many cases, this fact currently prevents disruption in value creation
processes and business models,” argues Possel-Dölken. “Developments in freight lo-
gistics – especially the introduction and establishment of the standardized ISO con-
tainer – offer a good analogy for the current situation of data logistics. They should
76
Next steps for digital transformation for manufacturers

serve as an inspiration to us when it comes to Industry 4.0 – because they have al-  Back to TOC
lowed for the costs of global freight transportation to either decrease significantly
or even become negligibly small. This holds true equally for the standardization of
goods transport itself (in the form of containers, and load carriers) and for the many
year’s process of developing the standards through the participation of various enti-
ties (such as ports, shipping companies, and freight forwarders).”

In conclusion, Possel-Dölken pointed out that close cooperation is needed between

companies, organisations, industry associations, research & education, as well as pol-
iticians, to solve the current issues – all this on the basis of the successful evolution
of the digital twin and the Asset Administration Shell.

Broadly classify the big digitalisation disruptors into two categories, Rajesh Ramach-
andran, chief digital officer at ABB Process Automation, believes that firstly it is the
approach to digital transformation and realisation of business value and secondly it
is the underlying digital technology disruptors. “In the first category, there are six key
areas of major shifts in digital transformation space which are already disrupting, for
the better, both process and manufacturing operations,” he said.

“The value realization of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and digital has drasti-
cally moved from technology and platforms to ‘Value Pillar applications.’ The six major
value pillars we see taking prominence are sustainability, process performance man-
agement, asset performance management, operational excellence, OT/IT convergence
security and extended automation and operational transformation.”

77
Next steps for digital transformation for manufacturers

Deployment at scale  Back to TOC

Ramachandran went on to explain that a major change already underway is deploy-
ment at scale – where pilots have matured to become programs. Organizations are
realizing that digital solutions work best when deployed at scale either horizontally – as
an example, implementing energy optimization across units, or vertically – implement
many of the value pillars such as sustainability, asset performance management to a
specific operational plant and then replicating this.

“Another change is the realization that benefits can be gained through the conver-
gence of IIoT and industrial artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in the context of the
scaled deployment. You need to bring the connected world, with AI and analytics,
together to enable process and asset optimization. Where once these elements were
seen as two different categories, they are, quite rightly, inextricable from one another,”
continued Ramachandran.

The deployment of digital twin technology has become more value driven – today
digital twins are being used for processes, not just assets. Operators are implementing
process digital twins at scale – seeing value in this for optimizing not just 3D models of
machinery or instrumentation.

“Greater adoption of hybrid cloud and edge computing is happening across industry –
bringing the OT/IT integration closer to control systems and process automation tech-
nology,” said Ramachandran.

Finally, he believes that the biggest current change in the mindset around digital
transformation is placing sustainability at the center of operations. “The top priority of
78
Next steps for digital transformation for manufacturers

digitalization has shifted from operational excellence to sustainability and asset per-  Back to TOC
formance management and it plays a key role in supporting energy management and
optimization; emissions monitoring and controlling this predictably; preserving natural
resources – for example, having solutions to monitor and control water usage; and op-
timizing processes so that we use less resources.”

So, what’s next on the underlying digital technology disruptors? According to Ramach-
andran it is the emergence of Edge AI – bringing more intelligence and Industrial AI to
the edge to achieve and close loop optimisation and make autonomous operations a
reality not just predictions and recommendations to human interpretations.

In addition, Ramachandran mentioned contextual data hubs that can unlock the value of
industrial data. Today, more than 80% of data is not used for analytics but, through con-
textual data hubs, where the industrial domain context in the form of meta data, can be
applied to the huge volume of IoT senior and operations data to achieve predictive and
prescriptive analytics across the functions of process and the manufacturing sectors

“I believe we will soon enter virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR) 2.0, where con-
nected workers and technologies that enable this become a critical requirement and
not simply a ‘nice to have’ part of modern industrial operations. Finally, 5G also has
the potential to radically disrupt the industrial IoT landscape for the better with speed,
connectivity and the power of remote operations transformed.”

Suzanne Gill
Suzanne Gill is editor, Control Engineering Europe.

79
 Digital
Transformation
Thank you for visiting the Digital Transformation eBook!
Content Archive

2022 Winter Edition If you have any questions or feedback about the contents
in this eBook, please contact CFE Media at
2022 Fall Edition
[email protected]
2022 Summer Edition

2022 Spring Edition We would love to hear from you!