EDGE CONNECT:
Universal connectivity for your machine park

FAQ

• Why is the digitization of all machine types on the store floor necessary?

  The fuel of Industry 4.0 is called data. It’s about using data to improve business and production processes. On the shop floor, data can be generated in parallel with production processes. State-of-the-art software can then be used to analyze the data and gain extensive insights from it. The problem, however, is the diversity of today’s existing assets. 60% of all industrial companies state in the Industry 4.0 study by McKinsey that around 30% of existing machines will have to be replaced for this. Not all machines are designed for digitization and can collect data by default. These machines create blind spots on the shop floor. To solve this problem, one could think of replacing the existing equipment with newer, digitized equipment. However, this is a costly approach that comes at the expense of cash flow. A more sensible approach, on the other hand, is “retrofitting”, i.e. upgrading old analog existing equipment to equipment that can capture and process data. FORCAM offers a number of methods for this approach to connect all machines. These methods even make it possible to integrate machines of any construction age.

• How does connectivity through EDGE CONNECT work?

  Signals are recorded close to the machine or plant, either in the case of modern machine controllers via a direct connection or older machines via a decentralized unit. The data signals are normalized via a high-speed script engine, buffered, and then made available to the cloud-based backend application. FORCAM’s edge computing unit generally runs close to the machine in the customer’s network to avoid bandwidth restrictions or offline capability.

• How can machines be connected to the system that were not intended for digitization?

  With the market-proven FORCAM I/O-Controler, you can easily connect machines digitally.

• Which machine controls are supported?

  EDGE CONNECT supports all types of manufacturer-specific control protocols, such as Siemens, Fanuc, Heidenhain and many others, to receive signals and write parameters.

• Which industrial communication standards are supported?

  EDGE CONNECT supports all industry communication standards, including MQTT, OPC-UA, etc. Our advanced plugin architecture enables efficient integration of new communication standards. So you are ready for the future and not limited to one manufacturer.

• Can I integrate my own applications and ensure connectivity to any type of system?

  With our Edge API you have fast and standardized access to all functionalities so that we not only support the development of your applications but also ensure the connection to any system.