IT in Manufacturing


HPC is here, but it needs to be of cool mind and body

September 2024 IT in Manufacturing


Ben Selier, vice president, Secure Power, Anglophone Africa at Schneider Electric.

It reads like a paragraph from a Philip K Dick sci-fi novel; high-performance computing (HPC) can perform quadrillions of calculations per second. Quadrillions is a word we seldom hear or even fully comprehend. But, here we are, HPC can achieve it, catapulting us into a world with groundbreaking inventions, innovations and complex calculations.

To place it into perspective, a laptop or desktop with a 3 GHz processor can perform around three billion calculations per second. While that is much faster than any human can achieve, it pales in comparison to HPC solution.

Supercomputers are probably the best known HPC solutions; they contain thousands of compute nodes that work together to complete one or more tasks. This is called parallel processing.

As mentioned, HPC is crucial across various domains, from scientific research to financial modelling and gaming development. For example in the financial sector HPC is used for virtually predicting market trends, involving the processing of vast datasets to identify patterns and insights.

In gaming, the demand for high-performance machines at home underscores the even greater need for robust HPC infrastructure for game development and rendering. The development of 4K and 8K content, whether for gaming or streaming services like Netflix, relies heavily on HPC to manage the enormous computational requirements.

A strong mind needs a body

Like Vision in Marvel’s Avengers saga, HPC needs a body or rather a data centre to function optimally. And building these data centres comes at quite a cost; this requires careful operational, financial, and technical consideration.

The above also a makes a case for organisations turning to hyperscale providers like Amazon and Microsoft, which provide HPC-as-a-service, allowing organisations to rent computational power on demand. It enables organisations to expand their HPC capabilities without significant upfront investments.

But for those who intend to go the HPC data centre route, the following should be carefully considered:

• Computing: This is the processing power required to execute complex calculations. It not only demands powerful processors, but also efficient interconnectivity to ensure seamless communication between computing nodes.

• Storage: HPC applications generate and manipulate vast amounts of data. Storage solutions should therefore be capable of handling massive datasets and providing quick access to information.

• Network: The network infrastructure is the backbone of HPC, facilitating communication between various components of the system. High-speed, low-latency networks are crucial for ensuring data transfer efficiency and minimising bottlenecks.

• Cooling facilities: The intense computational activities in an HPC environment generate substantial heat, necessitating advanced solutions such as liquid cooling and precision air conditioning. HPC data centres are power intensive, often requiring triple the power of traditional data centres.

Liquid cooling in particular is gaining prominence for its ability to cool high-power components such as processors and GPUs, reducing the overall thermal load on the system. This not only enhances energy efficiency, but also allows for more densely packed computing clusters, which is ideal for HPC

HPC and cooling in action

Schneider Electric, together with power and cooling expert, Total Power Solutions designed and delivered a new, highly efficient cooling system to help reduce the power usage effectiveness (PUE) of University College Dublin’s (UCD) main production data centre.

UCD’s data centre was originally designed to accommodate HPC clusters, and provides a platform for research at its university campus. Total Power Solutions and Schneider Electric replaced the existing data centre cooling system with the Uniflair InRow Direct Expansion (DX) solution. Schneider Electric’s InRow DX cooling technology offers benefits such as modular design, more predictable cooling and variable speed fans, which help to reduce energy consumption.

The solution at UCD includes 10 independent InRow DX cooling units, which are sized to the server load to optimise efficiency. The system is scalable to enable UCD to add further HPC clusters and accommodate future innovations in technology. This includes the introduction of increasingly powerful central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs).

The InRow DX cooling units work in conjunction with UCD’s existing Schneider Electric EcoStruxure Row Data Centre System, and provides a highly efficient, close-coupled design that is suited to high-density loads.


Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Looking into the future of machine vision
Omron Electronics IT in Manufacturing
Artificial intelligence (AI) is driving a significant transformation in all areas of industrial automation, and machine vision is no exception. Omron’s AI-powered machine vision systems seamlessly integrate state-of-the-art algorithms, enabling machines to analyse and interpret visual data meticulously.

Read more...
Driving digital transformation in the truck industry
Siemens South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Tatra Trucks, a leading truck manufacturer in Czechia, has adopted the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of industry software including Teamcenter software for product lifecycle management and the Mendix low code platform to help increase production volume and strengthen its ability to manufacture vehicles that meet specific customer requirements.

Read more...
Opinion piece: Digital twins in manufacturing – design, optimise and expand
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Digital twin technology can help create better products, fast. It can also transform the work of product development. This strong statement from McKinsey reinforces how far digital twins have come in manufacturing.

Read more...
UPS systems are key to keeping SA’s automotive industry up and running
Schneider Electric South Africa Electrical Power & Protection
During loadshedding, PLCs and OT systems often fail, not because they are directly tied to the factory’s core manufacturing process, but because they are now an integral part of IT infrastructure. When an IT system shuts down, the impact is far more complex than simply restarting machinery.

Read more...
Asset tracking is key to driving operational excellence and sustainable growth
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Asset tracking plays a critical role in the success of industrial businesses. By effectively managing and monitoring assets, companies can optimise their operations, ensuring that resources are used efficiently. This leads to improved productivity and reduced costs.

Read more...
Siemens democratises AI-driven PCB design for small and medium electronics teams
Siemens South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Siemens Digital Industries Software is making its AI-enhanced electronic systems design technology more accessible to small and mid-sized businesses with PADS Pro Essentials software and Xpedition Standard software.

Read more...
Advanced contactor solution to revolutionise motor management
Schneider Electric South Africa Electrical Power & Protection
Schneider Electric South Africa has launched the TeSys Deca Advanced, an advanced contactor solution designed to revolutionise motor management with unparalleled efficiency, reliability, simplicity and sustainability.

Read more...
Predicting and preventing cyber-attacks with AI and generative AI
IT in Manufacturing
The speed at which cyber threats are evolving is unprecedented. As a result, companies need to implement state-of-the-art technology to protect their data and systems.

Read more...
Real-world lessons in digital transformation
IT in Manufacturing
Synthesis has helped businesses across multiple industries with their digital transformation by solving their unique integration challenges.

Read more...
Enhancing cyber security for industrial drives
Siemens South Africa IT in Manufacturing
The growing connection between production networks and office networks as part of IT/OT integration and the utilisation of IoT have many benefits for industrial companies. At the same time, they also increase the risk of cyber threats. Siemens ensures that your know-how and plants are protected at all times.

Read more...