Taiwan Improves Manufacturing with AI

Some good details here about what is going on in Taiwan, notably integration with big data and AI capabilities.

From plastic toys to Industry 4.0: How Taiwan is using science to upgrade its manufacturing
The island is turning to smart machinery and artificial intelligence to improve the quality and flexibility of the products it makes.

Animation showing production line of robotic arms producing electronics  ...  Image  Credit: Geoffroy de Crécy

In 2016, industrial engineer Chen-Fu Chien was asked to lead a university research centre in Taiwan that would develop new manufacturing technologies using artificial intelligence (AI).

Rather than aiming to publish academic papers, his brief was to produce ideas that could be quickly transferred into industrial settings, says Chien. His research at the National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Hsinchu City uses big-data analytics to make machines smarter through AI that lets them take decisions without human control. It is one of several approaches to creating ‘smart factories’ that use an interconnected, digital network of supply systems — part of Taiwan’s push to improve the flexibility, quality and efficiency of its manufacturing.  .... " 

Volkswagen and AWS Web Services

Back to how much we can share, remove silos, and get data efficiently to various kinds of analytical engines.

Volkswagen Group’s landmark project with Amazon Web Services will help to connect all its global factories, and eventually the supply chain as well. At the core of the project is a drive to establish a standard software stack that will transform the way production IT is developed and implemented across Volkswagen locations.

At the core of Volkswagen Group’s decision to build an ‘Industrial Cloud’ connecting its production sites and supply chain, is an extreme proliferation of systems, standards and software across its 120 factories. Today, the group uses around 1,500 different IT systems on the shopfloor alone for manufacturing and logistics. It is not uncommon for a single plant to operate with dozens of different systems – hundreds once suppliers and service providers are included.

This “spaghetti connectivity”, as Volkswagen Group CIO Martin Hofmann calls it, is not only confusing and burdensome to manage, but it limits the degree to which investment, innovation and data can be shared across the group. Information exists in pockets of the production network, while software applications are not always compatible across locations.

Volkswagen is not alone in this complexity, although its network of brands with legacy systems and processes makes it something of an extreme case. It has nevertheless increased productivity across its manufacturing and supply chain, thanks in part to many system interfaces and APIs that allow systems to communicate. But that has come with a price tag in individual systems, in extra time required and – perhaps most damaging for the future – in lost visibility. The Industrial Cloud will transform that.  .... "

GE and BP with Machine Learning

Deep Machine Learning: GE And BP Will Connect Thousands Of Subsea Oil Wells To The Industrial Internet ... 

That magic is also the idea behind a new partnership between BP and GE’s Intelligent Platforms unit. Next year, BP will use GE’s Predix software platform to connect 650 wells to the Industrial Internet. If all goes according to plan, the companies will expand the scope to 4,000 BP subsea wells around the world. “We will help them to get connected, get insights and get optimized,” says Kate Johnson, CEO of GE Intelligent Platforms Software. ... " 

IOT vs IIOT

Overview that is useful ... with examples of applications.

IOT vs IIOT   Do you know the difference?
Not all Devices are IoT or IIoT

Posted by Daniel Ehrenreich  in IOT Central

Business opportunities created by Internet of Things (IoT) and the Industrial IoT (IIoT) are among the most debated topics, as these are designed to function in a broad range of consumer and industrial applications.

Manufacturers of IoT components believe in this new trend, but many of them still not understand the essence of the IoT concept. In reality, not every controlled device is an IoT nor IIoT.

The IoT/IIoT concept is a communication-based eco-system in which control devices, CCTV cameras and industrial sensors communicate via the Internet with cloud-based computer systems and data sources, and the result of this process is displayed on a computer screen, smartphone or used for optimal activation of a process. Through an IoT/IIoT ecosystem you may boost productivity and achieve unique benefits. Examples of IoT/IIoT include applications such as; remote operation of home appliances, medical devices, check on availability of a product in a store, warnings of unusual conditions and malfunctions and more.  .... " 

Industrial Lab for IoT

National Instruments industrial IoT lab unites rivals

Cisco, HPE, Intel and others help sponsor the lab to show enterprises that IoT systems can work    By Stephen Lawson  

There are many companies vying to build the industrial internet of things, but the systems involved are so complex that those vendors also need to cooperate. A new lab at National Instruments, in Austin, Texas, is bringing some competitors together.

The NI Industrial IoT Lab opened on Wednesday and will house testbeds for applications like predictive maintenance, time-synchronized industrial networking and “microgrids” for renewable energy. It will also be a place where companies can show off joint solutions to customers. ... " 

An Overview of GE Predix

Largely nontechnical overview, rather than a review of Predix as a platform. .  Prompted me to take another look.  I was an early tester.  GE is a big part of the Industrial Internet.

IoT Platform Review - Predix (GE)
Predix: The Industrial Internet Platform     by Erik Walenza-Slabe  

GE Buys Machine Analytics Firm

Today, GE Digital, the company’s software arm, said it acquired Meridium, Inc., a leading developer of asset performance management (APM) software for machine-heavy industries such as oil, gas, electricity and chemicals. The deal values Meridium, based in Roanoke, Virginia, at $495 million.

GE first invested in Meridium in 2014, buying a quarter of the company. Today it purchased the remaining stake. “As we forge ahead in the Industrial Internet journey, APM is clearly the first application that can leverage the Predix platform to help industrial customers benefit from increased productivity,” said Bill Ruh, CEO of GE Digital. ... " 

New: Digital Industry Insider

Digital Industry Insider:  

"The future of industry is digital. GE and BI Studios have co-created Digital Industry Insider, dedicated to bringing you what you need to know about digital industrial news and events.

 .... Produced by BI Studios, Business Insider’s content marketing division, Digital Industry Insider is a digital content hub, specifically-designed to fuel organic story discovery and elevate the discussion around digitization in core industries like aviation, energy and healthcare.

With the Industrial Internet poised to outpace the consumer internet by 2020 – weighing in at $225 billion in potential market size – bringing the world’s biggest machines online and helping them communicate is the next industrial revolution. Digital Industry Insider is convening this conversation, unpacking this new frontier and its impact. ... " 

German Manufacturing Revolution

In the HBR:

" ... Germany’s automakers, auto suppliers, machinery companies, and machine tool builders have long been considered the world’s leaders in manufacturing in large part because of their ability to unlock the potential of software, sensors, networks, and electronic devices on their assembly lines. Now, they are pioneering a new phase of global digital manufacturing that will transform the key processes surrounding the manufacturing of everything from automobiles to trains, planes, machinery, and even kitchens.

By digitizing the processes that govern how a new idea is brought to production (such as R&D, product launch, and testing), sales to delivery (pricing, demand forecasting, order fulfillment), and factory maintenance (including the inventorying of spare parts), German manufacturers in the auto industry and elsewhere are already beginning to significantly improve their margins. By 2030, we estimate there is the potential for manufacturers worldwide to realize an estimated $1.4 trillion upside by taking a page from leading German manufacturers’ playbooks. ... " 

Hidden Costs of Industrial IOT

In Read Write Web: Cisco report.   If these are truly hidden costs, the business models are not very well done.

A recent report indicates that while firms are benefiting from investments in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), the complexity of the technology can prove costly.

An April white paper entitled “The Hidden Costs of Delivering IIoT Services”, was authored by Cisco Jasper, a global IoT platform. The white paper determined that companies saw “internal productivity and efficiency” as the key incentives to integrating new IIoT technology into their business models.

And with IDC predicting over 30 billion IoT devices by 2020, connected equipment looks to become ubiquitous in the coming years.

However, the rush to integrate IIoT can weigh on companies who aren’t prepared for the added costs. .... " 

Industry 4.0

Interesting characterization of industry from the beginning to the Industrial Internet, mentioned here previously, we were members of its inception.  See tag links below for more coverage

In CustomerThink:
" ... The term Industry 4.0 was coined by German Government which indicates use of latest digital technologies like Internet of Things in manufacturing industry. 

Sometimes it is also known as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). It refers to the 4th industrial revolution.

Here is the brief history of industrial revolutions: 

Industry 1.0: use of water and steam power

Industry 2.0: introduced mass production with the help of electric power.

Industry 3.0: use of electronics and IT to further automate production.

Industry 4.0: digitization of manufacturing with the use of Internet of Things, Big Data, automation of processes with Robots, 3D printing, drones & Artificial Intelligence (AI)

In the Internet of Things, sensors having the ability to collect real time data which can be used by manufacturers and producers. The advancements in big data and powerful analytics means that systems can scan through the huge sets of data and produce insights that can be acted upon quickly.
... "

GE's Big Bet on Data and Analytics

MIT Sloan: 

GE’s Big Bet on Data and Analytics
Seeking opportunities in the Internet of Things, GE expands into industrial analytics.
February 18, 2016 by Laura Winig.

GE has bet big on the Industrial Internet — the convergence of industrial machines, data, and the Internet. The company is putting sensors on gas turbines, jet engines, and other machines; connecting them to the cloud; and analyzing the resulting flow of data. The goal: identify ways to improve machine productivity and reliability. This MIT Sloan Management Review case study looks at how this traditional manufacturer is remaking itself into a modern digital business. ... "

Available as a free download for a limited time.

AI Comes to the Factory Floor

IBM Works with IOT Startup.  Expected this direction much earlier, we worked on similar maintenance related approaches.    See Wi-Next.      See competitive (?)  work in GE Predix Cloud.

" ... Wi-STREAMS™ Platform is a complete and powerful edgeware solution that allows manufacturers to make their machines smarter thanks to a very simple-to-understand value proposition and high ROI, representing a huge opportunity both for vendors of machines and manufacturers in industries with very low margins (such as Fast Moving Goods and Food Service).

The Wi-NEXT Wi-STREAMS™ Platform helps manufacturers to improve process efficiency and quality control even in highly automated environments, usually a plant floor, or in challenging low-cost environments, for example at Point of Sale, with a high ROI due to the low initial cost and simple deployment. ... " 

GE Predix for Big Data and Analytics

Starting to get an introduction to Predix.  Impressive so far.  Look forward to see its broad availability.  See my other posts this year on Predix development and how it relates to analytic methods.  Note the paper talks about its relationship to the Industrial Internet.

" ... Connect. Optimize. Win.
A Software Platform for the Next Industrial Era

Powered by Predix, the next generation of industrial applications will bring together IT and OT, big data and advanced analytics, social business technologies, cloud deployment, and mobile-centric user interfaces..... 

White Paper with registration. 

GE Aviation and the Industrial Internet

I was just introduced to:

GE Aviation
GE Aviation is a world-leading provider of jet and turboprop engines, components and integrated systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft, and ship propulsion applications. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings. ..... "

GE Aviation Blog  (Includes areas like the Industrial Internet, covered in my posts here.  Plus much more.  You can subscribe to updates )

The Bike Shop
In honor of the Wright Brothers’ workshops in Dayton, Ohio, where they conducted their aeronautical research and development, The Bike Shop is our place to share stories and engage with you as we continue to invent the future of flight. ... " 

Industrial Internet Consortium

GE and the Internet

GE as a 'heavy industry' and how it uses analytics and the Internet. How it utilizes the value of the industrial internet.    Some good examples of how it leverages its scale.

GE and the Industrial Internet

In EE Times.  GE is clearly a pioneer in this area, having huge needs in gathering, analyzing and delivering huge amounts of data.

Google and Carnegie form an IOT Campus

In Fast Company:  Seeking to figure out how things should communicate.  Good Goal.  Keep industry involved. Integrate cognitive intelligence.

" ... For the "Internet of Things" to thrive, all it needs is for all devices to get along—which is currently wishful thinking. Last week, however, Google announced a partnership with Carnegie-Mellon University, which is leading a collaboration of faculty from several other academic institutions on a project to jumpstart the Internet of Things revolution. Their plan: Build a universal platform that lets any device talk to any other device. And fittingly, that master-key solution will be open source.

The problem is that IoT software and devices are mostly proprietary, built by each company and working well within their own sandboxes, but they don't communicate well together. The joint project between CMU, Cornell, Stanford, Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Google wants to wipe away the private-industry middlemen that keep sensors in separate sandboxes by creating a new, open platform: GIoTTO.  .. " 

In the CMU News.

GE's Industrial Internet

In SiliconAngle:

General Electric Co. (GE) has made no secret of its desire to become the ruler of what it calls the “Industrial Internet,” a concept that’s often described as the Internet of Things for big industry. But to do that, GE needs to refashion itself as one of the biggest players in IT, and no IT player is complete without a cloud to handle all of those applications and data.

Which is why GE formally announced Predix Cloud yesterday, a version of its Predix machine data analytics software that’s now available as a cloud-based service. ... " 

Pitney Bowes and GE Software's Predix

It is nice to see the terms predictive and prescriptive used specifically here, the prescriptive is not that often mentioned.  It implies the integration of analytics and specific business process, which is good. Have not looked at GE's Predix.

GE, Pitney Bowes team up on predictive and prescriptive analytics
The two companies will use GE's Predix software platform for the Industrial Internet of Things to develop customized asset performance management applications.

GE and Pitney Bowes are going to bring the power of predictive and prescriptive analytics to mail production mail.

The two companies today sealed an alliance around GE's Predix software platform for the Industrial Internet, under which they will develop customized asset performance management (APM) applications for Pitney Bowes and its Enterprise Business Solutions customers. Powered by Predix, the services is designed to give Pitney Bowes the capability to analyze data generated from its production mailing and shipping machines, and its clients' machines, to provide client and productivity services and job scheduling capabilities. ...   "