EcoStruxure Enables IIoT-Ready Packaging Lines

Schneider Electric has introduced EcoStruxureTM Machine, a significant step forward in its ability to help its packaging machine builders design machine solutions that are ready for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Announced at interpack 2017, EcoStruxure Machine delivers Schneider Electric’s smart machine solutions, which are built on its IIoT-enabled open and interoperable EcoStruxure system architecture and platform.

Schneider Electric’s vision for smart machines is part of a connected, cybersecure production system based on EcoStruxure Machine, the company’s machine-centric automation architecture that enables OEMs to design more efficient, more flexible, better connected, and safer machines through advanced digital technologies and open standards.

EcoStruxure delivers Innovation At Every Level from connected products to edge control to applications, analytics and services. For packaging processes, EcoStruxure delivers the architecture for future-proof production and packaging processes, unleashing the full potential of the IIoT and Industry 4.0 for OEM customers in the packaging industry.

At the apps, analytics and services layer, EcoStruxure Machine ensures seamless integration of machines to the IT layer, allowing the collection and aggregation of data ready for analysis – for machine builders and end users alike this means increased uptime and the ability to find information faster for efficient operations and maintenance.

At the edge control layer EcoStruxure Machine facilitates information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) convergence across industry-standard platforms, meaning machine builders reap benefits from web interfaces and cloud computing for easy vertical integration of production lines, and real-time data exchange to access, monitor, and control from anywhere. The benefits of connected products for measuring, actuating, device level monitoring, and control that adhere to open standards are unmatched integration opportunities and increased flexibility.

Digitisation requires machine builders more than ever to think beyond the usual borders of individual products and machines and consider how complete production lines must become connected at every stage of the manufacturing life cycle.

“Today we are seeing two interconnected megatrends: the digitisation of all types of information and the increasing use of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in production – both are driving the evolution of our advanced machine technologies and the development of our EcoStruxure Machine architecture in order to deliver machines that are more efficient, more flexible, better connected, and safer,” said Dr Ali Haj Fraj, Senior Vice President, Machine Solutions, Schneider Electric.

Schneider Electric is one of the world’s leading automation solution providers for packaging machines – more than 300 of the machines being displayed at interpack are built on Schneider Electric’s smart machine technology. At interpack 2017, Schneider Electric presented not only its comprehensive portfolio of automation solutions and products, but also its capabilities as an expert partner for OEMs,with a broad range of knowledge and expertise for every step of production and packaging processes.Machine and line control, supervision and analytics.

interpack highlights:

• PacDrive with C2C and OPC UA in parallel with Sercos communication is Schneider Electric's new LMC pro 2PacDrive Controller which is able to handle 130 axes and delivers controller-to-controller communication via Sercos. This launch paves the way to build distributed systems which can communicate online as fast as the machine level and with fully synchronous servo axes along a full line.
• PacDrive Servo System concept – interpack debut for Schneider's iLD integrated drive concept, which has the potential to drastically cut the footprint of a machine, initially for carton box machinery with additional applications coming in the future.
• New robot kinematics – robots have long been a part of Schneider's packaging solutions. However its brand new SCARA kinematics and hand axis on Delta3 kinematics are now fully embedded into the company's standard packaging machine automation environment, bringing customers better integration, faster commissioning, and more flexibility across their machines and processes.
• Smart engineering and operations – a new technology for smart machines in action – including the latest features of SoMachine software that reduce engineering time and increase quality and simulation, semantic code analysis, automated tests, and subversion that supports application lifecycle management in a modular machine design. In addition, visitors saw how Schneider's augmented reality solution, Vijeo 360, and digital services can help improve machine commissioning, operation and maintenance.

• A focus on food production and machinery – new Food & Beverage machinery solutions that cover the complete process from shop floor to top floor – including the bundling of existing application engineering expertise and solutions and Tested, Validated and Documented Architectures(TVDAs), to deliver new solutions for a broader spectrum of Food & Beverage machinery.