Jürgen Giesow: For the first time, injection moulding companies now have the opportunity to use a standardised interface globally. Comparability, production transfers and production duplication are much easier than before. In addition, everything is reported back centrally to one unit, meaning that data and process feedback can be documented and analysed. In the past, integration was only realised with digital signals such as "active" or "inactive", which meant that feedback and the evaluation of process data were not possible.
This interface is more common in Europe than in North America. Why is that?
Peters: Europe has a longer tradition in the field of mechanical engineering and communication with additional devices in comparison with North America. Industry 4.0 laid the foundations for standardised communication between various components via OPC UA back in 2011. As a result, many companies have addressed the topic and defined and implemented the first standards, in conjunction with the VDMA.
How high is the demand from US users for standardisation solutions?
Giesow: The demand for standardisation solutions has increased considerably in recent years. More and more technologies are being integrated into peripheral devices and tools that need to communicate with the injection moulding machine. The complexity of the requirements is therefore increasing, and ever faster communication speeds are required. Full integration is therefore essential. In addition, we also have a shortage of skilled labour in the US. For this reason alone, a standardised plug and play solution is becoming increasingly attractive for our customers.
Are users concerned about security? After all, information is shared.
Giesow: There are always security concerns. But, where OPC UA is involved, they can be eliminated quite quickly. The machine communicates with additional devices that are required for the process via these interfaces. None of these devices need to be connected to a manufacturer or the internet to ensure cell communication. The data is only visible within the manufacturing company. Data security is therefore guaranteed. As far as process reliability is concerned, it has to be said that integration is much more secure. The machine is notified immediately of any malfunctions or deviations and can react quickly.
Peters: OPC UA offers advanced security features, including encryption, authentication and authorisation. These security measures help to ensure the integrity of data communication and improve protection against unauthorised access.
How considerable is the implementation effort?
Peters: That is highly dependent on the control technology used, the existing infrastructure, and the expertise of the developers. Initially, close cooperation between the two manufacturers whose control systems wish to communicate is key. Once it has been implemented, it is easy to copy. Many well-known control system manufacturers around the world already offer the option of communicating via OPC UA.
The standard already exists for injection moulding machines. What can other machine groups from the periphery learn from your experience?
Peters: One of the most important realisations is that you should try not to specify all conceivable information immediately in the first step; it is better to start with simple data models and add to them over time. The national associations, such as the VDMA or VDI, as well as the OPC Foundation, are working hard to support this.
How likely do you think it is that OPC UA will at some stage become the global language of production – comparable to the USB interface on computers?
Peters: OPC UA is already standard in Europe and is also gaining momentum in America and Asia, solely due to its many advantages. Examples of this are the EUROMAP communication interfaces for temperature control units, hot runner controllers and LSR dosing units. In our view, OPC UA will continue to expand globally within the industrial environment.
Giesow: I agree with that statement. The world is getting increasingly smaller. Sooner or later there will have to be a standard that can be used globally, as the current interfaces simply don't offer enough possibilities. There is currently no other communication platform within the injection moulding sector that has this much to offer. The push for increased integration is clearly recognisable. If you take all this into consideration, there is really no way around OPC UA as a global solution.
