Mica Network Presents Industry 4.0 Applications

Harting founded the “Mica.network” user community in June together with the first users of the mini-computer. Two months earlier, Mica had been awarded the Hermes Award at the Hannover Messe 2016. With the companies Akquinet AG, Nemetris, Salt and Pepper and SDI Project Automation, four companies from the network are now presenting their solutions with Mica at the Harting stand in Hall 10 at the SPS IPC Drives in Nuremberg.

Individual Industry 4.0 software solutions

The Akquinet company shows individual Industry 4.0 software solutions. The solutions based on open source technologies and standards in M2M communication are intended to show the interplay of different technologies and the integration of Mica. Akquinet uses an example to show how information is exchanged between sensors, servers and mobile devices. The company shows how Industry 4.0 projects in the areas of PPS and MES as well as predictive maintenance can be implemented using methods such as machine learning and data analytics.

Industry 4.0

Building block for a networked industry

Open computing

Mica users and developers establish a network

Combine mica and smart industry apps

By combining the smart industry apps from Nemetris and Mica, it should be possible to carry out common MES and production IT functions directly in the shop floor. The apps collect, process and visualize, for example, operating, machine and process, energy, traceability and maintenance data.

Retrofit solution for existing systems

The Condition Monitoring System from Salt and Pepper based on the Mica platform offers new options for monitoring existing plants. As a retrofit solution, this system is integrated into existing systems and enables the availability and power factor to be assessed when considering the overall system effectiveness (OEE).

Intelligent machine park networking

The company SDI Project Automation presents its expertise in the area of ​​machine park optimization based on intelligent machine network networking through a decentralized mica network.

Open computing

Participants in the Mica network continue to develop their business models

Mica as a soft PLC with protection class IP67

With Logi.CAD 3, the company Logi.Cals (Hall 6, Booth 230) provides free soft PLC basic software with which the digital inputs and outputs of the Mica can be programmed in accordance with IEC 61131-3. Optional fieldbus modules can also be integrated into the PLC program using Anybus technology. Modbus-TCP or MQTT are available for communication with controllers from other manufacturers or with higher-level systems.

Long range radio technology with Mica

Comtac AG (Hall 7, Stand 581) as the newest partner in the Mica network uses the Mica platform as a gateway to long-range (LoRa) networks. Long Range Wide Area Network is a wireless network protocol developed for IoT applications that can transmit small data packets through buildings and over long distances up to 40 km. Comtac provides products as well as customer-specific development and production of LoRa nodes and LoRa bridges and provides holistic support in the IoT process.

Energy management with Mica and IBM Watson

Harting himself also demonstrates two applications with Mica: In cooperation with IBM, a concept for intelligent energy management is presented. Energy measurement data is collected locally at the trade fair as well as from a remote production and then analyzed in the IBM Cloud by IBM's cognitive intelligence Watson. The results are to be visualized live at the trade fair on a tablet.

A Mica equipped as an RFID reader is used in the Harting Smart Factory demonstrator, the HAII4YOU Factory, on the exhibition stand in Hall 10 to identify the workpiece carriers. In addition, an application for quality inspection in the Mica is executed in the last production cell of the Smart Factory.

Detailed descriptions of the companies and the applications can be found on the network's website. (sh)

SPS IPC Drives 2016: Hall 10, Stand 140