More industrial data processing at the edge: Expert interview series, Charlie Emerson
Customers struggle to successfully collect data trapped in machines, analyze the data in a fast, efficient and cost-effective way, and interpret data to increase productivity, said Charlie Emerson, director of industry marketing for Emerson’s Machine Automation Solutions business. See video.
Learning Objectives
- Learn the need to collect, analyze and use machine data more effectively to increase productivity.
- See how smarter automation can help with greater manufacturing demand, even with fewer manufacturing personnel.
- Hear about improvements at consumer package goods, packaging original equipment manufacturers.
Industrial data and processing data at the edge has become more important with labor shortages across industries. Edge computing as part of a smart machine or line design helps customers improve automation and drive productivity and operational equipment effectiveness (OEE), according to Charlie Emerson, director of industry marketing for Emerson’s Machine Automation Solutions business. Emerson, with more than 10 years of experience working with automation companies, is responsible for leveraging the Emerson PACSystems and Emerson Movicon platforms to create industry specific automation solutions.
Emerson PACSystems Edge Solutions help customers improve quality, reduce machine downtime, and increase throughput, Emerson explained, in a video interview with Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering content manager.
He works with customers to help identify the right data to collect and apply PACSystems Edge Solutions to process the data to drive process improvements at the operational level. Data can be visualized on a dashboard for operators to review and act on or can be fed back directly to a machine controller to optimize a process.
More manufacturing demand, fewer manufacturing personnel, smarter automation
As the pandemic increases labor shortages in all industries, demand is increasing, which requires smarter automation applications. The pandemic caused an acceleration in adoption. Edge solutions enable more predictive maintenance and allow maintenance personnel to get mobile notifications from machines. This helps manufacturers use personnel more efficiently and bring new employees up to speed.
Industrial Internet of Things and digital transformation were happening prior to the pandemic, Emerson said. Improvements in automation and edge technologies are here to stay, with larger scale projects underway. Edge solutions help manufacturers work smarter not harder, Emerson said.
Emerson PACSystems RXi Edge Controller combines powerful deterministic (PLC) and non-deterministic (Linux) capabilities in one box for real-time process optimization. Courtesy: Emerson
Improvements for consumer package goods, packaging original equipment manufacturers
Expanding implementations Emerson explained include a consumer package goods (CPG) manufacturer, and packaging original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Better visualization problem solving, trending, notifications, predictive maintenance have resulted.
Emerson’s advice included: Think about the total automation strategy up front. The pandemic was unexpected and requires improvements to up front design practices.
“We have just launched this PACSystems Edge Solutions portfolio, and we plan to continue investing in edge technology. We have focused on customer satisfaction through ease of installation and will continue to build out more analytics capabilities to make it easier still for customer to implement more advanced analytics as they continue to scale up,” Emerson said.
The Emerson PACSystems Edge Solutions portfolio offers scalable solutions from low footprint edge computing to wide plant analytics. Courtesy: Emerson
For more information, go to www.emerson.com/pacsystems for more about edge solutions and other automation.
Charlie Emerson is director of industry marketing for Emerson’s Machine Automation Solutions business. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media and Technology, mhoske@cfemedia.com.
KEYWORDS: Industrial edge, manufacturing efficiency, machine automation
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