The administration of digital twins

July 2020 IT in Manufacturing

In order to access the virtual representation of the sensor and its data, SICK Automation uses LiveConnect to deliver a standardised connection from an edge gateway to SICK Asset Hub. This visualises the sensor status, thereby providing a foundation that opens up new opportunities for optimising plant availability and process efficiency.

“Today, customers come to us with problems that have nothing to do with traditional automation engineering, but involve sensor systems, logic and actuators,” explains Christoph Müller, senior vice president for product management at SICK AG. “Instead, they want to make business processes more efficient. Sensors gather data that can help solve this problem.”

LiveConnect – connection into the cloud

Industry 4.0 thrives on the generation and linking of data. LiveConnect provides a data connection to the sensor for web services and Industry 4.0 applications, thereby making new business applications possible – for example, the monitoring of ship emissions as evidence of adherence to legal requirements.

In order to access the virtual representation of the sensor and its data, SICK uses LiveConnect to deliver a standardised and secure connection from an edge gateway, like the SIM1012, to SICK Asset Hub or other SICK or third-party applications. The LiveConnect web service connects the hardware, a SensorApp, and a cloud instance. This creates a connection between the sensor-oriented shop floor (SICK AppSpace) and the SICK IntegrationSpace cloud environment.

Asset Hub – making added value visible

The Asset Hub from SICK is a digital, web-based enterprise asset management (EAM) system. Thanks to the functionally rich and interactive view the Asset Hub provides of the individual sensors and machines, as well as the plant as a whole, it creates more transparency in the value chain. This new transparency via virtual images, digital twins, and assets – along their entire life cycles – enables greater plant availability and process efficiency. Data is evaluated in the Asset Hub to deliver valuable information about required inventories, maintenance, the right time for software updates, or the availability of devices. For example, the SICK Asset Hub service module offers services for maintenance employees and enables them to access sensor maintenance schedules and certificates, among other things.

The Asset Hub provides a flexible foundation for further asset-focused digital value-adding services from SICK, for example the Installed Base Manager, LiveConnect, Monitoring Box, or SICK Service Module.

IntegrationSpace – all digital solutions on a single platform

Asset Hub and LiveConnect are components of the SICK IntegrationSpace, which provides all the basic services and features required to offer digital services.

Credit(s)

SICK Automation Southern Africa

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