The speed of data transfer has reached unimaginable levels until not so long ago, yet there are technological applications that, in order to be exploited to the maximum, cannot wait for the exchange of information with a central processing center, but must be able to count on a computing capacity very close to the origin of the data. This is the principle behind edge computing which, in some respects, is the opposite of the centralized system of cloud computing, even if in practice they complement each other. There Factory 4.0 is the place of choice of edge computing because latency, or the time between sending the “request” and receiving the “response”, is a parameter of fundamental importance in terms of productivity, safety and prevention of machine breakdowns.
“Computing is now distributed everywhere and not just in data centers as it was not so long ago; even the networks that transport the data are “intelligent” because they are able to process data – he explains Andrea Toigo, Edge Ai leads in Intel’s Emea territory – But if you want to extract value from data in real time, the ability to process it must be where it is created or collected. “This is especially true for the Internet of Things, sensors, cameras, controllers and all those devices that allow you to automate production processes.
“Thanks to Edge computing it is possible to have predictive analyzes that allow maintenance to be carried out before the machinery breaks down – he continues Toigo – Or you are able to instantly stop the machine when the products have manufacturing defects. A significant advantage, especially in those production lines that use expensive components or raw materials “. All this translates into greater uptime, that is, production downtimes are reduced to a minimum, be it due to maintenance or repairs.
“The management of automation processes is making enormous progress thanks to the use of artificial intelligence, but this does not mean that only those who completely renovate their production lines can benefit from it – says the manager of Intel – Thanks to the so-called retrofitting, even machines that were not born “intelligent” can become so “. And this is precisely the path that many Italian small and medium-sized enterprises have decided to take, which were already adopting the new paradigm of Factory 4.0 and after the epidemic of Covid-19 with the related lockdowns they have decided to accelerate.
And with the arrival of the 5G, the latest generation mobile network that has a large bandwidth and very low latency, the potential of smart factory they have grown further. A concrete example of what it is possible to do today can be found at Verona, dove Exor International, manufacturer of digital platforms for the industrial sector, has created with the support of Intel e Tim a real innovative smart factory equipped with private 5G wireless network. A demonstration that digital transformation is also for small and medium-sized Italian manufacturing companies.
The recently inaugurated new factory is based on products of the US house, from processors Atom ai Xeon Scalable they Fpga Intel, in addition to software Edge Controls for Industrial ed Edge Insights for Industrial. It is a “model” plant that has the great operational advantages of digitalization, including autonomous organization of human resources and real-time responsiveness to changes in orders and employee availability, a clear indication of the status of planned activities for the week, including supplies, components and documentation, to ensure they are ready for production, and real-time updates on order status and work progress, regardless of the size of the order.
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