Using industrial standards to overcome the global supply chain crisis

Geopolitical and pandemic influences continue to affect global industries through various channels such as logistic networks, supply chains, foreign investment and commodity markets. Manufacturing industries are experiencing major delays and increased freighting costs, combined with the increase in product demand due to the advancement of technology, and change to industry development and growth.

Closely associated with this is the current global electronics parts shortage. Poor production planning and an insatiable appetite for semiconductors by the automotive and consumer electronics industries has led to long lead times in the supply of control system and industrial automation components. This in turn is causing long delays in critical projects being undertaken by end users, keen to complete improvement and efficiency projects for their manufacturing sites.

However, there are a few things that can be done to reduce the effects of these issues.

You may have heard it said that it is best to “standardise on industrial technologies, not product brands”. In the past, this was aimed at reducing the overall costs of automation projects. However, today this philosophy also applies to reducing the effects of the global supply chain crisis.

Standardising on technology rather than brands

Standardising on brands creates vendor lock-in and limits the range of solutions that can be realised. Critically, this makes the end user reliant on delivery schedules from that particular vendor and results in dependence on that brand’s future technology direction. This leads to limited opportunities for the end user, as they find themselves locked into the vendor’s hardware, coding methodologies, standards, tools and data/cloud connectivity — which might not always be the right solution for the user’s unique and evolving needs.

In contrast, standardising on technologies not only provides more reasonable pricing through competition, but also gives the end user a wider range of solutions and alternative products when delivery schedules cannot be met.

Shifting to vendor-independent platforms and adopting systems that are standards-based and versatile not only offers more flexibility, but can potentially save costs and avoid delays with the integration into, and upgrading of, existing systems. In today’s market, the industry is not only looking for good pricing and availability, but also solutions and products that are agile and follow the latest technology innovations trends. End users that have previously relied on the large market leaders may now turn to the mid-tier suppliers, who often supply products that support a wider range of Industrial standards.

When planning for new projects and creating specifications for those projects, look at selecting technologies such as open-standard fieldbus options, hardware-independent programming environments, and universally supported, secure communication protocols.

For example, using some of the leading open fieldbus standards, you have the ability to approach a range of vendors to select the right products, at the right price, and balance that with availability. Such fieldbuses include, but are not limited to: Profibus/Profinet, EtherNet/IP, DeviceNet, EtherCAT, Modbus (TCP and RTU), IO-Link, etc.

The advantages of vendor-independent software

When it comes to programming software selection, choosing IEC61131-3 compliant solutions means it is easier to move from one compliant software option to another. This again provides flexibility when supply chain issues affect the availability of software-associated hardware. When creating project specifications, look at selecting products based on the support for the right programming languages and environments, fieldbus options and communication protocols.

Another advantage of IEC61131-3 compliant programming tools is the ability to use the right programming styles for the right control requirements. For example, it may be useful to create parts of your project using Ladder Logic (Ladder Diagram or LD) because it is easy to fault-find by electricians. However, you might want to use Sequential Flow Charts (SFC) at a higher level, to isolate code and better control state-based parts of a machine or process. Structured Text (ST) is great where complex data manipulation has to be performed, where communication drivers have to be written, or where information has to be compiled and sent to external systems for data collection. Structured Text is also more readily understood by the younger generation of control system engineers, who are now working with higher-level languages such as JAVA and Python.

Better still, select a programming environment that is hardware vendor-neutral, which allows the end user to move between PLC vendors, again maximising options and minimising costs. Code can generally be converted from one controller to another with minimal effort.

One of the leading hardware-neutral programming environments comes from CODESYS. CODESYS purely concentrates on creating the most up-to-date programming and commission tools, which can be used to program more than 1000 hardware controllers, from more than 400 different vendors. Mid-tier automation companies have realised that it requires a large software team to keep up to date with all the latest automation developments and standards. Instead of having such a team in-house, many have turned to CODESYS as the software development tool for their hardware. Many of these vendors are well-known in the industry. Some have re-badged CODESYS as their own programming tool. Some are even top-tier suppliers.

Another important consideration is making sure you select suitable open standard communication protocols. OPC, MQTT and DNP-3 are some examples. Selection of open standard options prevents you from getting locked into proprietary vendor specific infrastructure products.

Pertinent examples

A well-known Australian manufacturer recently had a critical machine breakdown due to a Profinet-based I/O node failing, and they had no spares in stock. They approached the original manufacturer and supplier of the I/O module and were told that delivery of a replacement module would be weeks away. To the manufacturer, it was critical that they get the machine up and running again that same evening. They approached one of their integrators, who sources an alternative Profinet I/O branded node, and overnight, had the machine up and running again. The alternative brand was in stock and turned out to be a lot cheaper than the original product used. By having opted to standardise on the Profinet fieldbus technology and stepping outside their usual brand of choice, they managed to save weeks of downtime.

Another well-known manufacturer recently had several control projects they wanted to implement in a short time frame. Their preferred supplier told them that the PLCs they normally use were not available for a few months. Having already used CODESYS before, and having control engineers conversant with IEC61131-3, they opted to see what CODESYS-capable controllers were in stock from different suppliers. Instead of having to wait months, they had their project up and running within a few weeks.

There is a New Zealand company developing world-leading software for real-time data capture and feedback to help reduce downtime and improve overall manufacturing efficiencies. Their product needs to interface with a wide range of controllers and equipment. Selecting standards has prevented them from being locked into certain hardware options. And opting for communication protocols such as OPC and MQTT has meant that their upgrade to cloud-based data storage will be much easier, while giving them the ability to tap into a wide range of controllers already on existing production lines.

Things to consider when planning for your next automation project

When planning an automation project using technology standards, there are four things to consider.

Easy integration

Take a typical manufacturing plant comprising an array of equipment that differs in terms of vendor, age and the communication protocols used. To collect the necessary data for smart manufacturing in such an environment means that all hardware within the facility needs to be able to communicate with each other. This includes PLCs, HMIs, specialist measurement devices and PCs. This is often considered a difficult task, especially when a brand-specific solution is selected, and often leads to expensive upgrades for perfectly functioning equipment to match the brand-supported capabilities.

However, successful integration of these devices does not require a complete equipment overhaul for the manufacturer. Instead, choosing software that is platform-independent and supports a wide range of standard integration options means that existing equipment can now communicate with each other. Such software is often referred to as ‘The Glue’. Platform-independent software is specifically designed with this need in mind as flexibility is key to their success.

As an example, CODESYS can seamlessly integrate a wide range of devices using most of the standard, open automation protocols. These include technologies such as MQTT and OPC, standard fieldbus protocols for serial and Ethernet interfaces, and standard protocols for web technology such as HTTP or HTTPS. CODESYS also offers encapsulated libraries for simplified access to public clouds platforms such as AWS, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud. Finally, it is possible to write specific drivers where needed, where legacy hardware has its own proprietary protocols. This can be done via serial or Ethernet.

Data management

Gathering, analysing and processing big data can generate new insights, support decision-making and create a competitive advantage. With the smart factory concept now in play, companies are becoming more data-driven. By deploying an automated real-time collection of manufacturing shop floor data, manufacturers can easily optimise production, performance and profitability, and reduce waste. For instance, the ability to reduce machine downtime, and finding production bottlenecks, allows for an increase in factory-floor efficiency and productivity levels.

With vendor lock-in, users are often unable to move data or applications outside of their single provider and are unable to use other databases or cloud computing systems to meet specific solution requirements. Most of these vendors claim that they can integrate with other products, but often this proves to be complex and costly.

On-premises or cloud-based control

Cloud-based computing has seen a large growth in demand, especially during the recent pandemic. With their new-found flexibility for enterprises — everything from saving time and money, to improving agility and scalability — cloud-based systems enable secure access from any device, any network, and any location.

On the other hand, on-premises software is installed on a company’s own servers and has the benefit of being behind the company’s own firewall applications that are reliable, fast and secure, allowing enterprises to maintain a level of control that the cloud often cannot offer presently.

Current user surveys show that industry uses a mix of centralised and decentralised control technologies, and trends toward decentralised architectures. The latest prediction is that cloud-based controllers with event-based applications will replace classic control architectures in the future.

Today, almost every controller has an Ethernet connection and can be connected to the internet directly or via a gateway, which makes the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) a reality. For older control systems without Ethernet capabilities, there are many third-party products that add Ethernet connectivity and even come with embedded OPC and MQTT protocols. Project engineering tools such as the CODESYS Development System facilitate easy exchange between control data with the cloud or other systems.

Security

While IIoT strategies are enabling new ways to drive business efficiency and versatility, security with cloud computing solutions is also becoming a challenge. Globally, hackers are targeting many industries and manufacturing companies, blocking access to critical communication and data, and installing ransomware. This often results in costly downtime and upgrades, including payments to the hackers to re-enable production.

Making sure that your selected solutions support encryption, signing of data, and communication with X.509 certificates as well as hardware-based encryption and wizards to uncover vulnerabilities or potential weaknesses, goes a long way to providing reliable and secure solutions. Many of these solutions are driven by the commercial sectors which are now migrating to industrial systems.

Conclusion

In days gone by, end users assumed that standardising on one particular brand would result in better pricing, support and delivery. However, in many cases the opposite would result. Although the end user would perceive special pricing, for example, the integrators to these end users would often end up paying full price for hardware and software, which would then be passed on to the customer.

Today, the ability to select products from multiple vendors provides pricing competition, a wider range of suitable solutions, and better choice when it comes to delivery schedules. To facilitate such choice, selecting technologies over brands is critical.

When creating company standards documents, the focus should be on listing fieldbus protocols, communication standards and programming methodology, instead of specific brands and part numbers. You may have a preferred supplier but restricting your product choice to only one supplier creates many limitations.

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