Welcome to the Edge

February 28, 2020

Edge computing has been around for a long time, but is now celebrating a revival in industry. Not all industrial users are convinced by the cloud. Rittal has discovered the potential of the edge and developed a corresponding product portfolio. Sales of the company’s optimization software will begin in the autumn. Rittal’s new Industrie 4.0 plant in Haiger serves as a ‘live’ laboratory.

Before the interview begins, Andreas Keiger wants to make something clear: “Edge computing has been around for a long time. At the moment, we are experiencing a new perception of this technology,” he explains. The electrical engineer is responsible for Rittal’s edge-cloud business. Most industrial users still associate Rittal with control cabinets. The owner, Professor Dr. Friedhelm Loh, likes to speak of the “Amazon of control cabinet technology”. Many industrial users often still identify Eplan’s software solutions as Rittal products. Rittal has been specializing in edge computing and private cloud solutions for more than ten years now – not always in the media spotlight, but sus-tainably. “Rittal is based on two pillars: industry and IT,” says Keiger.

Since being launched at CeBIT 2017, Rittal’s edge strategy has led to a convergence of these two areas. “Our solution focuses on industrial users who want to collect, process, analyse, train and restore data.” This topic is acquiring ever-greater importance in industry. Data processing volumes have grown to record levels. Rittal is convinced that the two zettabyte mark will be reached in 2019. According to reports at congresses and trade fairs five years ago, the cloud would be capable of handling such volumes of data. Today there is disillusionment. “I think we have communicated the cloud incorrectly for years. The large infrastructure providers are responsible for this and have to explain where the data is and what they do with it. We are experiencing considerable scepticism with regard to cloud applications.

Edge computing is gaining in importance, that’s true. And that is not all: in the recent past, big data has been hyped. Today, however, we need only a small amount of data to identify problems and improve performance. The edge is sufficient for this purpose. Many machine manufacturers are currently following the same learning curve,” explains Ralf W. Dieter, CEO of Dürr AG.

Friends of the edge

Keiger agrees with this: “Who wants to transfer sensitive production data to AWS? I know only a few.” Important data should remain on the edge, in the company’s IT systems. What’s more, many companies lack the bandwidth to quickly transfer vast quantities to the cloud. Short latency times are indispensable in many areas – such as for real-time-capable and data-sovereign industrial AI applications and video-based production assistance systems. Keiger and his colleagues are convinced: “When data first has to travel very long distances to data centres located in a cloud, the response often takes too long and puts customers at a disadvantage in terms of data-driven innovations.” In this context Keiger means Machine Learning (ML), Deep Learning (DL) and Reinforcement Learning (RL) – i.e. applications that depend on data and models.

“I am convinced that the vast majority of companies will be implementing ML on the edge in the future,” explains Peter Seeberg, who previously worked for Intel, was then responsible for ML projects at Softing and now advises industrial users (above all machine manufacturers) on ML-related issues. “The data can be trained on a standard notebook; the runtime models operate on an industrial PC in the machine. This is no different from a facial recognition model on a modern mobile phone,” Seeberg emphasizes. How did this come about? “In the past, customers often did not want a cloud solution, so we had to come up with an alternative.” But Seeberg is not a cloud opponent. “We need the cloud, but it has to be targeted. The cloud must fit in with the company’s strategy,” he says.

Siemens is likewise discovering the potential of edge computing. “The interaction between the cloud and the edge opens up entirely new possibilities. In combination with automation systems we can use edge technology to bring AI to the machine and into the manufacturing process, thus increasing productivity,” explained Siemens CEO Klaus Helmrich in a recent podcast. The company’s MindSphere World has featured an edge connector for several months now.

The next step: auto ML software

With regard to the edge, all four industry representatives can continue to rely on Moore’s Law, which says that the number of transistors in an integrated circuit doubles about every 18 months – also thanks to German EUV technology pioneered by Trumpf and Zeiss. After all, the prerequisite for an edge application – today and tomorrow – is the continued validity of this rule. Speaking to the Heise news portal, TSMC’s head of research, Philip Wong, insists that “Moore’s Law is alive and well. Contrary to all the prophecies of doom, it is not even sick! Nothing will change in the foreseeable future.” According to Wong, it will still apply in 2050 and beyond. The metric Wong uses for his statement is the packing density of the transistors.

Keiger is aware of the relevant statistics and has taken his ideas a step further. Rittal has now developed a production optimization software based on the data generated by its new plant in Haiger, which collects over 18 TB of data every day. With the aid of Bosch, Fraunhofer and IoTOS, Rittal is committed to creating an auto ML application that will make it easier for customers to streamline their production processes and operations. “If you have 100 machines and 26 robots, you know how difficult it is to obtain clean data from all of them.” Domain knowledge is essential – best of all automated domain knowledge – in order to train data models. In addition, there is a track-and-trace application that enables logistics integration. But Keiger does not want to reveal any more details. The product will be presented to the public in October. The software has already been tested at the Haiger plant. Rittal and its partners have developed algorithms that digitize employee know-how on the one hand, and perform pattern recognition on the other, as a basis for predicting malfunctions. Until a few weeks ago, this was still a standard algorithm. However, this algorithm will be adapted in order to become a service model for new customers. “Plug & Produce is our goal,” Keiger asserts confidently.

But Keiger has been working in the industry for many years and knows about the problems. “We still have language problems. I would be happy if we had a single data language. Everyone is doing their own thing.” Wasn’t OPC UA supposed to be standard? “Explain that to the colleagues at Alibaba and Baidu. The data language in China is quite different.”

And what about the edge? “It will get even smaller. Single sensors – or even single chips – will eventually become an edge. ML will take place on the edge in the future.”

Source

Related Articles


Changing Scene

  • Andreas Sobotta to Assume Role of Vice President North and South America for Pilz Automation

    Andreas Sobotta to Assume Role of Vice President North and South America for Pilz Automation

    Pilz Automation Safety Canada L.P. announces that their long-term CEO and GM, Andreas Sobotta, will assume the role of Vice President North and South America, effective immediately. He will still work from the Canadian office in Mississauga and visit all other subsidiaries in North and South America. Pilz will take their time to find a… Read More…

  • SEW-Eurodrive: MAXOLUTION System Solutions

    SEW-Eurodrive: MAXOLUTION System Solutions

    Whether in production or logistics operations, MAXOLUTION is synonymous with innovation in factory automation – across all industries and worldwide – helping you achieve your vision of an adaptable and resilient lean smart factory. Under the MAXOLUTION brand, SEW-EURODRIVE creates customized solutions for cutting-edge materials handling technology – from the shop floor through to IT.… Read More…


Sponsored Content
The Easy Way to the Industrial IoT

The way to the Industrial IoT does not have to be complicated. Whether access to valuable data is required or new, data-driven services are to be generated, Weidmuller enables its customers to go from data to value the easy way. Weidmuller’s comprehensive and cutting-edge IIoT portfolio applies to greenfield and brownfield applications. Weidmuller offers components and solutions from data acquisition, data pre-processing, data communication and data analysis.

Visit Weidmuller’s Industrial IoT Portfolio.


ADVANCED Motion Controls Takes Servo Drives to New Heights (and Depths) with FlexPro Extended Environment Product Line

Advanced Motion Controls is proud to announce the addition of six new CANopen servo drives with Extended Environment capabilities to their FlexPro line. These new drives join AMC’s existing EtherCAT Extended Environment FlexPro drives, making the FlexPro line the go-to solution for motion control applications in harsh environments.

Many motion control applications take place in conditions that are less than ideal, such as extreme temperatures, high and low pressures, shocks and vibrations, and contamination. Electronics, including servo drives, can malfunction or sustain permanent damage in these conditions.

Read More


Service Wire Co. Announces New Titles for Key Executives

Bruce Kesler and Mark Gatewood have been given new titles and responsibilities for Service Wire Co.

Bruce Kesler has assumed the role of Senior Director – Business Development. Bruce will be responsible for Service Wire’s largest strategic accounts and our growing Strategic Accounts Team.

Mark Gatewood has been promoted to the role of Vice President – Sales & Marketing. In this role, Gatewood will lead the efforts of Service Wire Company’s entire sales and marketing organization in all market verticals.

Read More


Tri-Mach Announces the Purchase of an Additional 45,000 sq ft. Facility

Tri-Mach Elmira Facility

Recently, Tri-Mach Inc. was thrilled to announce the addition of a new 45,000 sq ft. facility. Located at 285 Union St., Elmira, ON, this facility expands Tri-Mach’s capabilities, allowing them to better serve the growing needs of their customers.

Positioning for growth, this additional facility will allow Tri-Mach to continue taking on large-scale projects, enhance product performance testing, and provide equipment storage for their customers. The building will also be the new home to their Skilled Trades Centre of Excellence.

Read More


JMP Parent Company, CONVERGIX Acquires AGR Automation, Expanding Global Reach

Convergix Automation Solutions has completed the acquisition of AGR Automation (“AGR”), a UK-based provider of custom, high-performance automation design and systems integration primarily to the life sciences industry.

Following Convergix’s acquisitions of JMP Solutions in August 2021 and Classic Design in February 2022, AGR marks the third investment in Crestview’s strategy to build Convergix into a diversified automation solutions provider targeting the global $500+ billion market, with a particular focus on the $70 billion global systems integration and connectivity segments. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Read More


Latest Articles

  • Making the Sustainable Transformation of the Process Industry a Success

    Making the Sustainable Transformation of the Process Industry a Success

    By Krystie Johnston and Dr. Manfred Jagiella – Sustainability facilitates opportunity when approached with a mindset to preserve resources and promote circularity. We share one Earth, and it is our global responsibility to care for it for the next generation. Endress+Hauser is one global company that understands this responsibility – and practices it as well.… Read More…

  • Why NOARK’s 12VDC Shunt Trip Coils for MCCBs Make Power Systems Reliable and Safer

    Why NOARK’s 12VDC Shunt Trip Coils for MCCBs Make Power Systems Reliable and Safer

    Circuit breakers are an essential component of any modern electrical system. Designed to protect your home or business from potential overloads or short circuits, these devices are your first line of defense against electrical fires. There are, however, situations where remote tripping of the circuit breaker may be required. It could be for operational reasons,… Read More…