What happens when top-down automation data reaches a machine controller—does it go any further? And, what happens when bottom-up data generated by the machine controller tries to move upward, past the machine controller into the automation system?

The automation world has become so complex that there are no simple answers. Taking a holistic view of manufacturing, every machine in a facility has the potential to become a tightly integrated entity in a smoothly running enterprise-wide system. And, taking a machine-by-machine view, every machine in a facility can just as easily work in isolation from any top-down system, quietly sequencing its switches and driving its motors as it pushes a workpiece or process along.

Why talk at all?

If we cannot solve the puzzlement around how machines, controllers and automation should relate to one another, we can at least look at some of the give-and-take—the opinions and the reasoning for adopting this or that strategy.

The first question, of course, is why create an automation environment that reaches into a machine, or vice-versa, a machine that transmits out onto the automation network. After all, a top-drawer accountant sinking into the carpets in walnut acres is unlikely to want to know the X,Y,Z position of a tool, or the flow past a valve at any given millisecond. Even dropping several hierarchies, the plant manager would not have much interest in that information. But the closer you bring the camera to the machine—past operations and production management, down to process supervisor, maintenance crew and finally, to operator—the more important the individual bits and bytes might be.

Certainly, operations on any level could do some good things with aggregated data. If a trending chart tells the group that parts are drifting because a tool position is repeatedly out of spec, or a flow anomaly has begun to throw a formula or a process off, they would want to give some attention to the machine. In addition, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) depends on a broad range of machine data (again, aggregated, to be sure). Those who are tasked with finding all the ways to increase throughput or decrease waste find food for thought in overall machine behaviors.

No wonder, then, that middleware and machine controllers have developed more and more avenues for reaching overall automation networks, and from them to enterprise-level systems.

Whether these avenues are heavily traveled is a different matter. The isolated machine is still much in evidence. There are, of course, some holes in this approach. When a machine is not connected, no dashboard will reveal to higher-ups how well it is performing, or if it is even turned on. Quality statistics will at best be captured inside the machine controller (one assumes for selective harvest later), at worst by the operator or a quality control resource with a caliper and a notepad. Finally, material and product flow will be harder to track.

The truth is, however, in a small to medium facility, sticking with manual data tracking methods is perhaps easier than the weeks or months of effort required to assemble a meaningful automated information flow.

“We’re ready to integrate any of our controllers with a plant-wide network,” says Jeff Thomason, manager of turnkey operations for Hardinge Inc., Elmira, N.Y. “The controllers have the hooks, they have Ethernet connectivity, and there’s plenty of capability for data aggregation if someone wants to pick and choose what to send to an automation network. But we’ve almost never been asked to do it.”

As a major supplier to discrete manufacturers, Hardinge makes a broad range of equipment: turning machines, vertical and horizontal machining centers, pallet changers, grinders and work holding components. Its customer base ranges from small machine shops to huge production facilities for major multinationals.

Future use

“We consider the capability as one for future use,” Thomason continues. “We see the need and we’re convinced we’ll see a lot of it in the future, but actually using it depends on the manufacturing philosophy of the company involved. Not many have gone through the exercise of defining what they want to quantify, or answering the question of exactly what parameters they want to see upstream.”

According to Thomason, a major stopper has been security issues. “Intranets hold a great deal of promise,” Thomason says. “Having a browser-based dashboard sounds great. You could see a green blip for every online productive machine, or a yellow or red one for a problem, from anywhere. But people hesitate to poke holes in their firewalls. It can be ...