Live, interactive displays will demonstrate brewing application and OPC UA data exchange
The FDT Group, an independent, international, not-for-profit industry association supporting FDT® Technology, today announced it would present a live, interactive process and factory automation demonstration at Hannover Fair, April 25-29, in Hannover, Germany.
The FDT Group demonstration, located in Hall 9, Booth F54, will feature an FDT integrated application including multiple protocols, vendors and devices. The demonstration system simulates a brewing and bottling application using control systems and components commonly found in a brewery. More than 20 companies’ products will be included in this interoperability exhibit, which features beer pumping between tanks and beer bottles being filled on a rotary conveyor.
The FDT Group booth will showcase the progress made by the FDT Group and OPC Foundation on integrating the OPC UA architecture into an FDT Frame. A new, key feature will be a demonstration of robust device-to-cloud data exchange made possible by the two organizations’ collaboration. Visitors will see a display of asset health monitoring on a mobile device using the FDT2/OPC UA annex. FDT Technology’s method of communicating device and machine data using OPC UA provides an effective combination of local control and monitoring. The demonstration will show the standard integration of information provided by Device Type Managers (DTMs) into the OPC UA information model. This is an important capability for device diagnostics, configuration and remote asset management, as well as integration with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) to support operational excellence initiatives.
FDT Group Managing Director Glenn Schulz commented, “Throughout global manufacturing, there is a diverse scope of process, hybrid and discrete automation applications for FDT Technology. Our standard gives users the ability to mix and match field communication protocols, control system platforms and instrumentation suppliers, simplifying device integration in a host of demanding environments. Our Integrated brewery display will show how fast and easy it is for the operator of a plant to integrate and communicate with different field devices by utilizing an array of device drivers, such as DTMs and Device Descriptions, via a single, open engineering environment over multiple communication protocols enabled by FDT Technology. We are pleased to interactively demonstrate these capabilities at this year’s Hannover Fair.”
The FDT Group will also showcase the advancement of its non-proprietary standard to keep pace with the changing requirements of industry worldwide. The organization has established a comprehensive cyber security infrastructure to address potential cyber attacks on plant automation assets. It is also committed to helping end users deploy the functionality they appreciate in the FDT standard on leading mobile platforms. FDT Technology will play a vital role in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), optimizing industrial communication networks, automation systems, and device suppliers. In addition, the standard has been written into the Industry 4.0 and Modular Automation initiatives with the goal of unifying system engineering, configuration and diagnosis. The FDT2-OPC UA information model will enhance the configuration of networks and devices, and optimize the enterprise with access to data without protocol-specific handling. FDT helps put “Big Data” in context and supports better and faster decision-making – reducing critical failures potentially costing millions of dollars.
For more information, please visit www.fdtgroup.org.
About FDT Group AISBL
The FDT Group AISBL is an international non-profit corporation consisting of over 100 leading worldwide member companies active in industrial automation manufacturing — whether it be process, factory or hybrid. The major purpose of the FDT Group is to provide an open and non-proprietary standardized interface for the integration of field devices with engineering, automation and asset management systems. In this environment, end users, manufacturers, universities, and research organizations are working together to develop the technology; to provide development tools, support, and training; to coordinate field trials and demonstrations; and to enable product interoperability.
FDT® is a registered trademark of the FDT Group AISBL.
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