"Industrial communication will change”

Mr. Ford, the OPC UA standard is still largely unknown in the USA. Why is that?

Dana Ford: Although OPC was originally developed in North America, it was initially not very well known in the plastics industry. This has only changed recently. The European market in particular has experienced considerable growth in recent years with the introduction of the OPC UA protocol. In the plastics industry in the USA, this new protocol is actually hardly widespread. Users here are still very reluctant to change their established communication channels. Once implemented, these paths are difficult to adapt, mainly due to the associated costs of upgrading equipment and software. As a result, many customers still rely on established FieldBus systems for direct communication with field devices within a work cell.

Are there competing communication standards?

Ford: Indeed, MODBus, Profinet and DeviceNET-ControlNET are widely used communication protocols. These protocols are generally referred to as FieldBUS. However, it is important to understand their limitations. Despite their efficiency in handling real-time communication, these protocols are inadequate when it comes to ensuring secure communication. They also have limitations in terms of the amount of data that can be collected. However, the integration of larger, more cost-efficient processors has initiated a fundamental change. The prevailing trend now is the introduction of protocols that not only enable faster communication, but also ensure the secure and efficient collection of large amounts of data. OPC UA is a perfect solution for this.

Many European companies in the plastics machinery industry are taking the lead in developing uniform standards for machine communication. Wittmann is one of them. Why are you doing this?

Ford: Wittmann has always been a leader in the development of devices that have advanced monitoring and analysis capabilities. This commitment allows Wittmann to invest time in standardizing and refining the software. We want tomshare our findings with the groups that set uniform standards for effective machine communication. With the introduction of the Wittmann WorkCell, it is now possible to easily integrate all Wittmann peripherals into the injection molding machine using OPC UA. The aim is to provide customers with not just a device, but an entire process that significantly increases their production capabilities. The industry is entering a phase in which suppliers are increasingly being forced to comply with higher standards. The demand for field devices that provide ever more comprehensive data sets is driving the continuous analysis and refinement of the production cycle. At the same time, the seamless integration of peripheral devices with simplified connections and shortened commissioning times should reduce the burden on the production cycle.

Wittmann Group offers its customers injection molding machines and the associated peripherals. If a customer orders a complete solution from you, do they even need an open standard such as OPC UA?

Ford: Yes, because even though Wittmann manufactures all these devices, the true potential of these tools can only be fully exploited if they communicate beyond the boundaries of a production cell. Devices such as injection molding machines are needed to connect with MES systems for job planning or to collect historical data for quality control. Imagine that a customer wants to use their injection molding machine with MES connectivity for production data, but also needs accurate data on material consumption, which can be obtained via a gravimetric resin mixer or resin feeder to record resin consumption. In response to these requirements, the provision of an OPC UA package for all systems in the plastics industry is increasingly becoming a prerequisite.

Why is it also important for manufacturers of peripheral equipment to have access to a standardized communication standard?

Ford: In the industrial sector, secure data exchange between machines is extremely important, whether for production planning, operation or quality control. In a broader sense, this results from the requirements of industry, which is constantly improving technological progress. Think back to the days when you had to fight your way through a maze of cables and drivers to connect a printer to a PC. Today, the USB cable has become the norm and all you have to do is plug it in. Industrial communication will change in a similar way. In the past, you had to struggle with serial cables, baud rates and terminating resistors to configure a water temperature controller to interface with an injection molding machine. Now, however, we are seeing a shift towards improved connectivity. For example, the introduction of standard communication protocols allows us to connect a water temperature controller to an injection molding machine by simply plugging in a standard Ethernet cable that allows for quick detection and control.

Where do you need to start in the USA so that customers find the plug-and-play solution of OPC UA so attractive that they implement it?

Ford: The first step is to identify the specific requirements of the plastics processor. For example, in industries such as medical technology or FDA regulations, where comprehensive data tracking is required for quality control, it is beneficial to connect to the customer's established MES or SCADA system. In particular, these customers are always looking for connectivity to the injection molding machine, increasingly tending to adopt Ethernet protocols such as Euromap for injection molding machine integration, leveraging OPC UA standards. In addition, the strategic advantage of linking Wittmann peripherals via an OPC UA connection enriches the overall connectivity framework. On the other hand, if a customer only wants to increase production efficiency by reducing start-up times and mold changes, the use of an injection molding machine work cell is a more attractive option. In this scenario, all peripheral devices are connected via OPC UA, allowing seamless integration and setting of peripheral devices from a central location on the injection molding machine. This lean approach significantly shortens commissioning times. This makes it particularly interesting for plastics processors who have to carry out frequent mold changes.