Representative End User Clients
Representative Automation Clients
Representative Software Clients
FANUC CORPORATION, a supplier of robotics and factory automation, is collaborating with Cisco, a provder of IT-enabled digitization; Rockwell Automation, a supplier of industrial automation and information solutions; and Preferred Networks, a provider of Artificial Intelligence solutions. The companies will work together on the development and deployment of the FANUC Intelligent Edge Link and Drive (FIELD) system, a platform that connects Computer Numerical Control machines (CNCs) and robots, as well as peripheral devices and sensors, to provide analytics that help to optimize manufacturing production.
The FIELD system will be a platform for the delivery of analytics for FANUC CNCs, robots, peripheral devices, and sensors used in automation systems. These analytics will be used to help improve machine efficiency, reliability, flexibility, output and speed, as well as product quality, which will help to elevate the Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) and increase manufacturing profitability. It will also provide machine learning capabilities. By working with Cisco, Rockwell Automation, and Preferred Networks, FANUC will offer a comprehensive solution including network and computing infrastructure, applications, and an enabling middleware platform. This platform is designed for use by, for example, application developers, sensor and peripheral device makers, and system integrators.
Extension of Current System
The FIELD system extends the existing FANUC ZDT (Zero Downtime) connected robots project; ZDT is built with Cisco cloud, IoT data collection software, and end-to-end security capabilities.
The companies are working together to implement systems for automotive manufacturers by leveraging the Allen-Bradley Stratix Ethernet switches from Rockwell Automation to connect robots to a Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS), running on FANUC and Cisco's ZDT Data Collection software. Automotive customers are implementing this system with the objective to decrease production downtime as well as to decrease costs.
Intelligent Manufacturing
The FIELD system will bring machine learning and artificial intelligence to end users and application developers with the objective of helping increase productivity and efficiency. FANUC and Preferred Networks have established these new technologies for applications, such as bin picking robots, anomaly detection, and failure prediction. The FIELD system combines both artificial intelligence and edge-computing technologies to help enable distributed learning. Data is generated from robots and machines, and is processed in real-time at the edge of the network. This allows those devices to better coordinate and collaborate in a more flexible manner.
Who provides What for the FIELD System?
FANUC: Provides CNCs and robots with embedded sensors to track variables required to help improve machine reliability and speed as well as product quality.
FANUC, Cisco and Preferred Networks: Provides enabling middleware platform software, as well as security and application lifecycle management applications. It will also leverage Preferred Networks' learning framework (Chainer), IoT Stream Engine (SensorBee), and other machine learning libraries within its Deep Intelligence in-Motion (DIMo) platform.
Cisco and Rockwell Automation: Provides networking, computing and security infrastructure to connect the robots, CNCs, and other cell equipment to the FIELD applications. Based on the Rockwell Automation and Cisco collaboratively developed Converged Plantwide Ethernet (CPwE) architecture, this helps to drive improved security, connectivity, flexibility, and scalability, all of which allows connections ranging from a single, small cell to a large factory with hundreds of cells.
FANUC, Rockwell Automation and Preferred Networks: Delivers the initial Application Software on top of the FIELD middleware and infrastructure platform. This will extend the LINK-i and ZDT applications currently deployed, along with additional deep learning applications from the FANUC and Preferred Networks partnership. It is planned that Rockwell Automation manufacturing software products (including FactoryTalk View, FactoryTalk VantagePoint, and FactoryTalk Production Center) will integrate with the FIELD system to help speed deployment.
Keywords: Intelligent Manufacturing, Advanced Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, CNCs, Cell Equipment, ARC Advisory Group.