DAC102021

n TECHNOLOGY October 2021 www.drivesncontrols.com 20 NOKIAHAS LAUNCHED what it describes as industry’s first off-the-shelf, mission-critical industrial edge, designed to accelerate the journey to Industry 4.0 for asset-intensive sectors such as manufacturing, energy and transportation, helping them to digitalise their operations with high performance, reliability and security. The scalable Nokia MX Industrial Edge (MXIE) addresses a new category of I4.0 applications that require increased capabilities and performance at the network edge, and tight integration with industrial and networking systems. The technology combines on-premise mission-critical edge, workload lifecycle management and simplified IIoT integration in a“one-stop”industrial edge platform, said to deliver high computing capacity, performance, resilience and security for mission-critical OT applications. Its scalable edge-as-a-service model, based on consumption, gives enterprises a low-cost entry point and control over their data. Nokia says the off-the-shelf MXIE“uniquely” combines computing, storage, wired/wireless networking, one-click industrial applications, and automatedmanagement, in a single on- premise digital platform. Industry 4.0 requires widespread digitalisation and connection of equipment, machines and other assets. Due to the amount and speed of data generated, and the need for real-time automation, data increasingly needs to be processed close to where it is generated, at the edge. The analyst Gartner predicts that, by 2025, 75% of industrial data will be processed at the edge. Nokia says that by adopting its MX Industrial Edge, enterprises will benefit from a cloud architecture that unifies edge requirements in an easy-to-use, deploy-as-a- service package. It removes the complexity, knowledge, and economic hurdles typically associated with deploying, integrating and lifecycle management of high-performance computing and critical networking applications. MXIE is powered by Nokia’s Digital Automation Cloud (DAC), allowing enterprises to manage everything from applications to private wireless networking. It will be offered in combination with DAC applications such as high-accuracy indoor positioning, plug-and-play private wireless, or Nokia’s modular private wireless technology. “Industry 4.0 is transforming asset- intensive industries by integrating and digitalising all processes and systems across the industrial value chain,”says Nokia’s head of enterprise solutions, Stephan Litjens.“This will result in an explosion of data – and taking the right actions based on that data in near real-time will be critical to the success of digital transformation initiatives.” Nokia reports that more than 300 of its customers are already using its industrial private wireless and have the core deployed on a scalable DA edge that could be upgraded to the MX edge. www.nokia.com/networks/industry- solutions/mx-industrial-edge ‘First off-the-shelf industrial edge’ will accelerate journey to Industry 4.0 p Siemens Large Drives Applications has collaborated with the German cloud-based software specialist Empolis to help generate insights into the operation of Siemens’Sidrive IQ digital drives. Using “knowledge graphs”at the core of Empolis’Intelligent Views Platform, data in documents, applications or employees’minds, will become more accessible and re-usable. This will not only reveal existing knowledge, but will also help to provide structured, standardised data for enhancing IoT services and AI- based functions such as chatbots or automated root- cause analyses. https://sie.ag/3fusEHz p Vecna Robotics , a US supplier of pallet-handling AMRs (autonomous moble robots), has updated its software to produce what it calls“industry’s fastest and safest AMRs”. The robots can achieve top speeds of 3m/s, while the time needed to pick up pallets has been halved. Better acceleration and deceleration times improve average speeds, while updated path planning and obstacle avoidance algorithms improve performance and handling in tight spaces. www.vecnarobotics.com p TI is addingmachine learning to its latest brushless DCmotor driver chips. The 70WMCF8316A and MCT8316A BLDC drivers combine analogue and digital chips to provide code-free, sensorless trapezoidal and field-oriented control (FOC), especially for low-noise applications. The drivers include commutation control algorithms that eliminate the need to develop andmaintainmotor- control software, eliminating“months”of design time. They manage critical functions such as motor fault detection, while sensorless technology determines the rotor position, eliminating the need for external Hall sensors, cutting costs and boosting reliability. www.ti.com p RS Components has partnered with the 3D printing specialist Protolabs to offer a service to users of its DesignSpark CAD software to produce prototypes and low-volume parts in as little as a day. DesignSpark files can be uploaded to Protolabs’e- commerce site for manufacturability analysis and quotes, and the parts can then be produced in plastics or metals using a choice of 3D printing technologies. The partnership also covers CNC machining and injection-moulding services. https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/software p SKF is supporting the development of fossil- free bearing steels through a collaboration with Sweden’s Luleå University of Technology. It will participate in and fund research on using hydrogen in industrial processes and energy systems, speeding up the development of fossil-free steels. Research areas will include hybrid ceramic bearings and EVs, and the development and commercialisation of the fossil-free steel. www.skf.com p Japan’s OKI Electric Cable has developed two types of ultra-fine cable for wiring in tight spaces inside industrial robots and machine tools. The cable diameters are about 30% smaller than existing products for voltages up to 30V. The 2.1mm-diameter ORP-30F cable has an elastomer insulation that combines toughness with an ability to slide. The 2.7mm-diameter OFV-30F cable, for use with fixed machinery components, uses cross-linked PVC for good heat and oil resistance in harsh environments. www.oki.com TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS Nokia’s industrial edge technology is aimed at accelerating the transformation to Industry 4.0.