At present, a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is sweeping the world. Vertical applications such as the Internet and 5G are booming. The demand for processing and analysis of large amounts of data has increased sharply, which brings huge challenges to enterprises in data analysis and digital and intelligent transformation. At the same time, edge computing has become a key supporting technology for industrial digital transformation because it can provide edge intelligent services.
In order to speed up the construction of edge computing infrastructure and deepen the application and expansion of edge computing in vertical industries, the “White Paper on Edge Computing Solutions for Process Industry” (hereinafter referred to as the “White Paper on Edge Computing Solutions for Process Industry”) was led by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology and jointly compiled by 16 units within the Industrial Internet Industry Alliance. “White Paper”) is now officially released. As a leader in intelligent manufacturing, Rockwell Automation is honored to participate in this writing.
The “White Paper” mainly conducts in-depth research on the pain points faced by the process industry in the process of digital transformation. The book is divided into four chapters. First, the “White Paper” starts from the application status of edge computing in the process industry, explores the field value that edge computing brings to process industry factories, and establishes a reference implementation architecture and technical system for edge computing based on the original framework for the process industry. Finally, it puts forward opinions on the technology layout and industrialization development of edge computing in the process industry.
Break down barriers to digital transformation in process industries and accelerate digital transformation
With the vigorous development of industrialization and economy, the digital and intelligent transformation of the process industry has become the mainstream of development; however, there are many constraints on the road to digital transformation, which bring great challenges to the process industry. The White Paper summarizes these factors in the following points:
- There is a phenomenon of information islands, and information transmission is not timely and comprehensive
- Data value mining is not in-depth, and there are industry know-how barriers
- Traditional equipment maintenance resources are expensive, and predictive maintenance is not widely used
- The hierarchical structure of each system is not clear, and the degree of data coordination between heterogeneous systems is low
- The application of intelligent control technology is insufficient, and the transformation of energy-saving technology has a long way to go
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In response to the above constraints, the “White Paper” provides corresponding solutions, mainly focusing on the field value brought by edge computing to the high-quality development of the process industry, which can be divided into the following four aspects:
- Enhance real-time data processing and reduce cloud computing pressure
- Give full play to the value of data and help break the industry know-how
- Combined with predictive maintenance technology to improve equipment production efficiency
- Optimize production process to help energy saving and carbon reduction
Three deployment modes of process industry help industry development
In the “White Paper”, we conduct an in-depth analysis of edge computing. Edge computing in the process industry is initially divided into three application paths and corresponding deployment modes: 5G MEC, field-level edge computing, and cloud-native edge computing. The development of these three edge computing deployment models has its own advantages, but also has corresponding limitations. In actual deployment, they can be integrated with each other within a reasonable range, promote the unification of standards, and further promote the industrialization and scale development of edge computing. The specific applications of the three edge computing deployment modes are as follows:
#5G MEC Deployment Model
The 5G MEC path dominated by telecom operators, relying on the advantages of operators’ networks to achieve edge computing for the network process industry
The integration and invocation of capabilities and computing capabilities are suitable for applications that require high network capabilities.
#Field-level edge computing deployment model
Field-level edge computing led by equipment manufacturers and industrial enterprises, relying on industry expertise, is suitable for applications with strict requirements on latency, security, performance, and self-management.
#Cloud native edge computing deployment mode
Cloud-native edge computing led by IT enterprises, relying on the advantages of cloud computing and focusing on edge collaboration, is suitable for applications that have high requirements for cloud service extension and data management and control.
Four Tips for Optimizing Your Path to Transformation
With the deepening of the implementation of the national “dual carbon” strategy and the demand for digital and intelligent transformation of the process industry, edge computing will play an increasingly important role in the process industry. To promote the development of edge computing in the process industry, the White Paper recommends the following:
In the writing of this “White Paper”, 16 units of the Industrial Internet Industry Alliance, including Rockwell Automation, made every effort to provide powerful case analysis and solutions for the digital and intelligent transformation of the process industry based on their practical experience. Improve and enrich the content of the “White Paper” as much as possible, and jointly accelerate the construction of edge computing infrastructure.
Scan the QR code below and enter the extraction code: 1111 to get the entire content of the “White Paper on Edge Computing Solutions for the Process Industry”
The Links: SRDA-COA12A01A-E 3HAC045978-001
