30
F. Firouzi et al.
1.4.5.1 Current Manufacturing Model
The current manufacturing automation is based on a hierarchical architecture
consisting of the following layers:
• Level 1: Sensor and Actuator Layer – This is the base level where the devices,
sensors, and actuators exist on the plant/shop floor to perform different manufacturing process. This layer is a part of Operational Technology (OT).
• Level 2: Field Automation Layer – This layer (mostly based on PLC: Programmable Logic Controller) monitors and controls the devices that are attached
to. This layer is also a part of Operational Technology.
• Level 3: Supervisory and Integration Layer – This layer mainly addresses
supervisory control of the whole production process in the shop floor, shop
floor monitoring, data acquisition, and data storage. It also functions as a multiprotocol intermediate gateway between the underlying industrial systems and the
upper enterprise systems. This layer is usually implemented by Manufacturing
Executive Systems (MESs), and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
systems (SCADA). Level 3 is also a part of Operational Technology.
• Level 4: Enterprise Layer – Finally, decisions at this level concern the business
planning, customer orders, material acquisition, and administration. Note that
this layer is classified as an Information Technology (IT) layer.
Three important points should be noted here. The first point is that the above
layers sometimes melt into each other in a way that some functions can be
implemented at multiple levels. Second, many existing factories have not integrated
the integration of Information Technology (Layer 4) with Operational Technology
(Layer 1–3) yet. The third point is that the above model is rigidly structured to
some extent, meaning that in the first two layers, there is almost a strict master-slave
communication paradigm, with the master taking charge. According to Industry 4.0,
the above model can be evolved toward a more decentralized model, allowing for
more autonomy. In Industry 4.0, the decentralization allows for more flexibility,
self-governance, self-organization, self-maintenance and self-repair. These are all
goals of smart manufacturing, and is not surprising as Industry 4.0 is a much more
recent standard.
1.4.5.2 Potential Use Cases
Here are the most popular IoT applications that are reshaping manufacturing and
factories:
Operating Efficiency IoT-based smart factories are more responsive to changes
in the environment and armed with more detailed and timely data are poised to
proactively address potential problems or events as soon as they occur or even
before they occur. In addition, traditional manufacturing plants depend on the skill
and training of the operators and technicians to produce their output. For decades,
F. Firouzi et al.
1.4.5.1 Current Manufacturing Model
The current manufacturing automation is based on a hierarchical architecture
consisting of the following layers:
• Level 1: Sensor and Actuator Layer – This is the base level where the devices,
sensors, and actuators exist on the plant/shop floor to perform different manufacturing process. This layer is a part of Operational Technology (OT).
• Level 2: Field Automation Layer – This layer (mostly based on PLC: Programmable Logic Controller) monitors and controls the devices that are attached
to. This layer is also a part of Operational Technology.
• Level 3: Supervisory and Integration Layer – This layer mainly addresses
supervisory control of the whole production process in the shop floor, shop
floor monitoring, data acquisition, and data storage. It also functions as a multiprotocol intermediate gateway between the underlying industrial systems and the
upper enterprise systems. This layer is usually implemented by Manufacturing
Executive Systems (MESs), and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
systems (SCADA). Level 3 is also a part of Operational Technology.
• Level 4: Enterprise Layer – Finally, decisions at this level concern the business
planning, customer orders, material acquisition, and administration. Note that
this layer is classified as an Information Technology (IT) layer.
Three important points should be noted here. The first point is that the above
layers sometimes melt into each other in a way that some functions can be
implemented at multiple levels. Second, many existing factories have not integrated
the integration of Information Technology (Layer 4) with Operational Technology
(Layer 1–3) yet. The third point is that the above model is rigidly structured to
some extent, meaning that in the first two layers, there is almost a strict master-slave
communication paradigm, with the master taking charge. According to Industry 4.0,
the above model can be evolved toward a more decentralized model, allowing for
more autonomy. In Industry 4.0, the decentralization allows for more flexibility,
self-governance, self-organization, self-maintenance and self-repair. These are all
goals of smart manufacturing, and is not surprising as Industry 4.0 is a much more
recent standard.
1.4.5.2 Potential Use Cases
Here are the most popular IoT applications that are reshaping manufacturing and
factories:
Operating Efficiency IoT-based smart factories are more responsive to changes
in the environment and armed with more detailed and timely data are poised to
proactively address potential problems or events as soon as they occur or even
before they occur. In addition, traditional manufacturing plants depend on the skill
and training of the operators and technicians to produce their output. For decades,