29 www.drivesncontrols.com June 2024 VIRTUALISATION n during which servers were built, the network was planned, components were installed, and connections to the industrial edge were set up. According to Pascal Schirmer, the member of the Edge Cloud 4 Production team who was mainly responsible for the initial implementation, the preparatory phase was successful because all of the participants had agreed on clear goals, and each of them had invested the time needed to achieve the agreed milestones on schedule. The experience will contribute to the implementation of subsequent rollouts, he adds. Implementation The virtual PLC was introduced in the spring of 2023. At the time, Audi was already starting to convert its first assembly plant to Edge Cloud 4 Production. The cloud went live in July 2023. Preparations for implementing the virtual PLCs started soon after that, and required close collaboration between Audi, Siemens and other technology partners. Since January 2024, two virtual PLCs have been deployed successfully on the e-tron GT axle assembly line in the Böllinger Höfe factory. Although the conversion to IT-based shopfloor automation is a huge step, the site’s employees have hardly noticed the change. They continue to access all the functions that they a know from hardware PLCs, as well as familiar user interfaces and tools. Thanks to compatibility with Siemens TIA Portal platform, no other programs have needed to be written for the virtual PLCs. The uniform infrastructure ensures that all of the virtual applications operate on the same basis, allowing completely digital management. Activities can be conducted centrally or remotely. Management via the cloud production platform also enhances cybersecurity, because many of the previous attack vectors have been removed from the production environment. Because the virtual PLC is downloaded as software and deployed via an industrial edge platform, the problems of extended delivery periods and the need to install hardware components have both been eliminated. Additional instances of the PLC can be downloaded if needed, and unnecessary instances can be uninstalled. This saves money and energy. Updates, and apps from industrial edge management, can also be rolled out quickly and easily plant-wide and on a remote basis. In addition to the technological hurdles, many organisational challenges also needed to be overcome. Employees and management had to be won over to the concept of IT-based factory automation, the functionality of the virtual PLC had to be demonstrated, and responsibilities had to be assigned. An Edge Cloud 4 Production team was established that allowed IT experts to collaborate closely with OT specialists. Thanks to extensive testing at the plant and close alignment between the IT and OT teams, Audi and Siemens were able to commission the new technology relatively smoothly. Just the start The successful initial implementation of the virtual PLC is just the starting point. Over the next few years, both the virtual controller and the cloud-based infrastructure will continue to be developed, tested and rolled out further. The priority in the coming months is to train employees at the Böllinger Höfe plant in the new technology. The first apps from Industrial Edge Management are also being rolled out and tested, including Siemens’Sinec Traffic Analyser. The apps can be downloaded and used flexibly, and can be deleted later, when they are no longer being used. The initial implementation is laying the groundwork for learning organisational and operational lessons. For example, there are plans to test a virtual operator panel, and any potential obstacles to the plant’s everyday operation will be detected. Challenges that arose in the initial implementation were overcome thanks to the dedication of the project partners. Based on the successful collaboration to date, they are optimistic about the future of the project. n When the virtual PLC was being implemented, it was first transferred to the cloud-based infrastructure and tested. Audi’s virtualised automation concept involves a new IT-based shopfloor infrastructure as well as virtual PLCs.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ0NzM=