Company says will make production sites integrated and intelligent
Omron is planning to release its new Industrial PC (IPC) platform in August. The company says the system will “innovate manufacturing through IoT utilization and high-speed, high-precision automation”.
The IPC is a PC architecture-based platform that meets strict quality standards required for factory automation devices and can be supplied stably on a long-term basis.
Omron assists manufacturers to make production equipment smarter by utilizing IoT and big data through the IPC.
At the same time, Omron helps them boost both their equipment-operating ratio and manufacturing quality by applying know-how on advanced fine-tuning control, which Omron has gained through the Sysmac automation platform, to production lines and equipment.
Moves are spreading to seek innovative manufacturing by leveraging IoT, big data and robotics at production sites. In order to collect data for improvement and preventive maintenance, a programmable logic controller (PLC) is connected with PCs for office use which require complex license management and are supported only for a short time.
Moreover, builders of semiconductor-manufacturing equipment and machine tools produce dedicated boards in-house, equipped with real-time operating systems, as main controllers.
They are outsourcing the development of general control functionality and concentrating resources on the development of competitive core technology.
These circumstances have increased global needs for PC architecture-based controllers which provide environmental resistance and reliability and allow for flexible development.
Omron says it has captured these needs and developed three types of IPCs. Users can choose the best IPC from box-type PC models and all-in-one PCs with built-in monitors to suit their system configurations and applications.
The IPC supports EtherCAT, which was impossible with previous PLCs. EtherCAT is an open network used for production lines and equipment all over the world as well as providing a development environment that allows users to customize functionalities.
