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ExxonMobil Seeks Open Automation Solutions

At the most recent ARC Industry Forum in Orlando, ExxonMobil announced that they are not satisfied with business as usual when it comes to industrial automation, and they are looking for something far superior to what is currently being offered.  On January 14, 2016, ExxonMobil announced that they had awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin to serve as the systems integrator in the early stage development of a next-generation open and secure automation system for process industries.  Lockheed Martin is tasked to seek out the architecture and tools needed for an “open, standards-based, secure and interoperable control system” that can be seamlessly integrated with existing facilities, as well as new and future systems.  ExxonMobil wants the hardware and software components to be commercially available and able to function in all current DCS markets.

Rather than simply replace their aging systems with the current state of the art, which is expensive, inflexible, and closed, ExxonMobil wants to leverage new, open, IoT, wireless, and cloud technologies to cut costs, enhance security, and reduce development time. As with other, adjacent areas of technology, they want to see a step-change improvements, not incremental or bolted-on changes to obsolete architectures.

Originally presented at Industry Day on January 26, 2016

Their vision for open automation is standards-based, secure, and interoperable, which will:

  1. Promote innovation & value creation
  2. Effortlessly integrate best-in-class components
  3. Afford access to leading-edge capability & performance
  4. Preserve the asset owner’s application software
  5. Significantly lower the cost of future replacement
  6. Employ an adaptive intrinsic security model

This vision reads like a list of Skkynet connectivity solutions features and benefits:

  1. SkkyHub, DataHub, and the ETK foster innovation and value creation by providing open-standards, real-time data connectivity for hardware and software from almost any vendor.
  2. These Skkynet tools allow users to integrate data from virtually any components.
  3. This kind of real-time data integration enables each component in turn to perform at its highest capacity.
  4. Any generation of equipment, from legacy to state-of-the-art, can be integrated.
  5. Connecting modules can be replaced, and the system itself gets continually updated.
  6. Connections from the DataHub or ETK to SkkyHub are secure by design.

We are currently in communication with Lockheed Martin, and bringing these advantages to ExxonMobil’s attention. We share their vision, and offer tested, verified, working solutions.

Value Propositions for Industrial IoT

A mong all the fanfare and hoopla over the Industrial IoT, the more practical-minded among us quietly but persistently raise the question, “So, where’s the value?” It’s a fair question. The IoT represents a new area of influence for industrial automation. Before embarking on such a venture, it’s good to have some idea what the benefits may be.

As we see it, there are two main parties involved, producers and suppliers, and each of them stands to benefit in their own way:

Producers

By “producers” we mean any company in the industrial sector that produces goods or services, such as manufacturing, energy, oil & gas, chemicals, mining, water & wastewater, transportation, food & beverages, and so on.

OPEX over CAPEX

Traditionally, projects in the industrial sector require large up front capital expenses (CAPEX) and are usually accompanied by long-term commitments. Shifting these costs to operational expenses (OPEX) means that you do not need to justify a large capital expenditure over years of returns. Just like a cup of coffee, you buy it, consume it and when you need more, you buy it again.

The SkkyHub “pay as you go” model cuts costs in this way. There are no long-term commitments and no initial capital investments. Costs are reduced and shifted from high capital expenses to monthly operating expenses, which improves long-term expense planning and looks better on financial statements.

Data as a Service

There is no need for additional IT personnel or extra hardware, no programming and no upgrade headaches. SkkyHub takes care of data connectivity, freeing up customer staff and resources for higher priority tasks, while increasing ROI.

The Efficiency of Big Data

Knowing exactly what is happening at any given time in the system is a useful step that a producer can take towards improving efficiency, enhancing value. Until recently, this kind of analysis was only available to the biggest enterprises. Now SkkyHub provides a cost-effective way to bring the power of big-data collection to even the smallest enterprise. Combined with custom or third-party analytical tools, the real-time data flowing through SkkyHub can power both historical and real-time analysis, boosting KPIs and enabling significant gains in productivity.

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)

Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) is a measure of how efficiently production equipment is being used. In manufacturing, for example, OEE is calculated according to three measures: uptime of production equipment, quantity of output, and quality of finished products. Manual methods and historical data archives give a rough idea of OEE, but according to a recent paper published by the ISA, a much more precise and relevant picture can be drawn by combining real-time operational visibility with real-time analytics. Any drop in production uptime or quantity, or in the quality of finished goods will be noticed immediately, and a fix can be applied on the spot, rather than waiting days, weeks, or months for a report to be generated.

Predictive Maintenance

Today’s engineers and managers recognize the need to shift from reactive to predictive maintenance. Instead of asking “What happened?” or “What’s happening?” they want to be asking “What will happen?” Instead of just putting out fires, management and production staff can use the real-time data provided by SkkyHub for optimization, data mining, and fault prediction.

Suppliers

By “suppliers” we mean companies that supply goods or services to industrial companies, in three broad categories:

  1. Raw Materials Suppliers
  2. OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and Equipment Vendors
  3. System Integrators
Raw Materials Suppliers

Connecting to a customer’s process data via the Industrial IoT provides value by giving suppliers a window into the real-time consumption rates of the raw materials they provide. This allows them to offer just-in-time deliveries, and coordinate their production with demand in real time. A well-known business model shows how the lack of communication between suppliers and producers can cause costly shortages and wasteful overruns. If the Industrial IoT is extended further to include customer order data, then the supply-production-delivery chain could be fully coordinated, with minimal waste and maximum profit.

OEMs and Equipment Vendors

Implemented properly, the Industrial IoT provides a way for OEMs and equipment vendors to monitor their tools and machines in real time. As industrial equipment grows increasingly complex, more and more specialized knowledge is required to maintain and keep it running at optimal efficiency. Meanwhile, customers constantly demand higher uptime rates.

The solution is to stay connected 24/7 in real time. This kind of connection provides vendors and manufacturers immediate notification when something goes wrong, and a convenient channel to check settings and tweak configuration. Rather than sending a technician out to the plant, the tech support team can address the problem using the full set of in-house resources. For the big picture over time, with every machine connected, the vendor or manufacturer can collect histories for every unit in the field, and analyze the data over the entire life of the product.

Given the benefits of OPEX over CAPEX, the growing complexity of machinery, and the convenience of remote monitoring and service, the Industrial IoT may well facilitate a trend towards providing equipment as a service. Plant owners pay a monthly leasing fee for the equipment, and tool manufacturers and/or vendors ensure that it is in place and functioning as expected.

System Integrators

System integration companies come in all sizes, from lone entrepreneurial engineers to mid-sized specialty shops to multi-national giants. Each may offer a different range of skills, products, and services. As the Industrial IoT gains traction, system integrators may begin looking for a way to offer such a service that works well.

Skkynet offers revenue sharing opportunities that meet the needs of any size system integrator working with customers in any sector or niche market. Skkynet partners are able to offer their customers a secure end-to-end solution for the Industrial IoT right now―at a fraction of the cost associated with ad-hoc or home-grown solutions. System integrators who can offer value through best of breed technology to enhance customer performance will deepen relationships with existing clients and grow their customer base.

Fitting In with Industrial IoT

“I t all sounds fine on paper, but will it work for me?” That’s a question that engineers and system integrators often ask when the topic of Industrial IoT comes up. There are so many ways it has to fit. Industrial systems are like snowflakes–every one is unique. Each facility, factory, pipeline, or power plant was built for a particular purpose, in a different part of the world, at a specific time in plant automation history, when technology had advanced to a certain level. We see a wide range of machines, tools, sensors, and other equipment used with endless combinations of proprietary and home-grown software and data protocols. Over time, plant modifications and expansions along with hardware and software upgrades bring still more variety.

If this diversity isn’t challenge enough, new questions are now popping up about the Industrial IoT itself: How to get started? What service provider to use? What approach or platform is best to take? What are the cost benefits?

Putting all this together, it becomes clear that a good Industrial IoT solution should be a comfortable fit. It should connect to virtually any in-plant system with a minimum of fuss, and provide links to remote systems as well. It should be compatible with multiple data protocols and legacy systems, and yet also integrate seamlessly with future hardware and software. Like putting on a new suit, the ideal is to ease into the IoT without disrupting anything.

Working towards that goal, here’s what a good system should do:

  • Support diverse data communication protocols: OPC, both OPC “Classic” and UA, plays an important role in simplifying and unifying industrial data communications. Any Industrial IoT platform should support OPC, along with common industrial fieldbuses like Modbus, Profibus, HART, DeviceNet, and so on. It should also support more specialized standards like IEC 61850, CAN, ZigBee, and BACnet. In addition to these, Industrial IoT should be compatible with non-industrial standards like HTML and XML for web connectivity, ODBC for database connectivity, DDE for connecting to Excel if needed, as well as the ability to connect to custom programs.
  • Connect to embedded devices: The “of Things” part of the Internet of Things refers primarily to embedded devices. Sensors, actuators, and other devices are getting smaller, cheaper, and more versatile every day. They should be able to connect–either directly or via a wired or cellular gateway–to the cloud. This is an area where SCADA can provide a wealth of experience to the Industrial IoT, and in turn benefit significantly from the expanded reach that Internet connectivity can provide.
  • Work with new or legacy equipment and facilities: Since the introduction of the DCS and PLC in the 1970’s, digital automation has been growing and evolving. While new technologies are constantly being adopted or adapted, many older systems continue to run. With so much engineering, effort, and capital invested in each project, plant management is often reluctant to make changes to a working system. To be accepted in the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” world, an Industrial IoT system should be able to connect to, but not intrude upon, legacy systems. Of course, for new systems, it should do likewise.
  • Use existing tools, or better: The Industrial IoT doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel. Most industrial automation systems have a solid, working set of tools, which might include DCS and SCADA systems; HMIs; MES, ERP and other kinds of databases; data historians, and more. A compatible Industrial IoT implementation should work as seamlessly as possible with all of these tools, using the appropriate protocols. At the same time, it would do well to offer connections to improved tools, if required or desired.
  • Meet Big Data requirements: Among the new tools, the ability to connect existing or future industrial systems with Big Data is one of the main attractions of the Industrial IoT. A compatible Industrial IoT solution should provide connectivity and the performance necessary to feed whatever Big Data engine may be chosen.
  • Allow for gradual implementation: Automation experts and proponents of the Industrial IoT are quick to point out that there is no need to implement this all at once. They often recommend a gradual, step-by-step implementation process. Start with a small data set, an isolated process or system, and build from there. Bring in users as needed. Once you are comfortable with the tools and techniques, you can build out. Naturally, you’ll need an IoT platform that supports this approach.

How Skkynet Fits

With Skkynet, compatibility for the Industrial IoT comes in three components that work seamlessly together: DataHub®, Embedded Toolkit (ETK), and SkkyHub™.

The Cogent DataHub® connects directly to in-plant systems via OPC, Modbus, ODBC and DDE, and is fully integrated with the Red Lion Data Station Plus, to connect to 300 additional industrial protocols. The DataHub supports data aggregation, server-to-server bridging, database logging, redundancy, and other data integration functionality. It also offers WebView, a flexible, web-based HMI.

The Embedded Toolkit (ETK) is a C library that provides the building blocks for embedded systems to connect and communicate with SkkyHub or the DataHub. It has been compiled to run on gateways from Red Lion, B+B SmartWorx, NetComm, and SysLINK, as well as devices from Renesas, Lantronix, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, ARM, and more.

These two components can be connected to and integrated with virtually any industrial system. They can be used separately or together, and can serve as the first stage of evolution towards the cloud at any time, by connecting to SkkyHub.

The SkkyHub™ service collects and distributes real-time data over networks, both locally and remotely. Connecting to the DataHub or any ETK-enabled device, SkkyHub provides secure networking of Industrial IoT data between remote locations, and remote monitoring and supervisory control through WebView.

Skkynet’s Industrial IoT software and services are in wide use today. You can find them connecting manufacturing facilities, wind and solar farms, offshore platforms, mines, pipelines, production lines, gauges, pumps, valves, actuators, and sensors. Their unique combination of security, speed, and compatibility with virtually any industrial system makes the DataHub, ETK, and SkkyHub well-fitting components of the Industrial IoT.

Top Performance for Industrial IoT

T he Industrial IoT is different from the regular IoT. Mission-critical industrial systems are not like consumer or business IT applications. Performance is crucial. Most IT systems are built around a relational database, a repository of data that clients can add to or access, where a response time of a second or two is acceptable. IT data is typically sent across a network via HTML or XML, which adds complexity to the raw data, and consumes bandwidth. Although fine for office or home use, these technologies are not sufficient for the Industrial IoT.

In a typical industrial system, the data flows in real time. It moves from a sensor, device, or process through the system, often combining with other data along the way, and may end up in an operator’s control panel, another machine or device, or special-purpose data historian. As plant or field conditions change, the data arrives in real time, and the system or operator must react. A robotic arm or other device can send hundreds of data changes per second. Tiny, millisecond fluctuations in the data set can have significant effects or trigger alarms, and often each minute detail needs to be accessed in a trend chart or historical database.

Achieving this kind of performance on the Industrial IoT demands an exceptional approach to data communication.

  • A real-time, in-memory database keeps the data moving. The data needs to flow quickly and effortlessly through the system, and an in-memory database is needed to support these rapid value changes. A relational database, the familiar workhorse of the IT world, is not built for this specialized task. It takes too long to write records, process queries, and retrieve information. Thus, an in-memory, flat-file database, is a good choice, allowing for higher data throughput.
  • High-speed data integration connects any data source with any user. A key task of the in-memory database is to integrate all sources of incoming data. If all communication is data-centric (see below), then every data source can be pooled together into a single, universal data set. This design keeps the data handling as simple as possible, allowing any authorized user to connect to any specified combination of data inputs in real time.
  • Publish/subscribe beats polling. In a publish/subscribe, event-driven model, a user makes a one-time request to connect to a data source, then gets updates whenever they occur. By contrast, polling sends regular, timed requests for data. This wastes resources when data changes are infrequent, because multiple requests might return with the same value. At the same time, polling is also inaccurate during rapid change, because a burst of several value changes may occur between polling cycles, and will be completely lost.
  • High-speed “push” data sources are most effective. The data should be pushed out to the system, and then pushed to the user. In addition to being a better security model, this approach is also more efficient. To “pull” data from a source requires polling, which takes longer and uses too much bandwidth, because each data update requires two messages: a request and a reply. Push technology only requires one message, which is more efficient, consumes less bandwidth, and also enables machine-to-machine communication.
  • Data-centric, not web-centric, design gives the best performance on the cloud. Transcoding data at the source takes time, and requires resources on the device which many smaller sensors may not have. By keeping the data in its simplest format, with no HTML or XML code, the lowest possible latency can be achieved. The raw data flows from the source, through the cloud, to the user as quickly as possible. When it arrives it can be converted to other formats, such as HTML, XML, SQL, etc. Different users, such as web browsers, databases, spreadsheets, and machine-to-machine systems can access a single data source at the point of its arrival, reducing the volume of data flow in the system.

Skkynet’s implementation

Following these principles, Skkynet’s SkkyHub™ and DataHub® provide in-plant or IoT networking speeds of just a few milliseconds over network latency, with a throughput of up to 50,000+ data changes per second. Their high level of performance is achieved by combining real-time, in-memory database technology with publish/subscribe, pushed data collection and a data-centric approach to communication.

The “Hub” technology in DataHub and SkkyHub is a real-time, in-memory, flat-file database, used in hundreds of mission-critical systems worldwide for over 15 years. Designed from the ground up for industrial data communications, the DataHub and ETK work by converting all incoming data into a simple, internal, raw-data format. This raw data can be integrated and transmitted at very high speeds.

At the plant level, the DataHub collects, integrates and redistributes process data in real time. Selected sets of data can be passed seamlessly to the IoT simply by connecting the DataHub or ETK to SkkyHub. At the cloud level, SkkyHub provides the same real-time data collection, integration, and distribution. IoT performance now approaches the actual network propagation speeds of the Internet, with virtually no added latency.

Quite honestly, we shouldn’t expect the typical IoT platform to provide this level of performance. Few, if any, were designed for the Industrial IoT. It should come as no surprise that a concept as disruptive as “Industrial Internet of Things” may require new approaches for proper implementation. And in addition to performance, industrial applications have unique security and compatibility requirements. When choosing a solid, robust platform for Industrial IoT, these are all critical factors to consider.

IoT Valued in Aftermarket Services for Connected Machines

What if your car dealer cared more about your car than you do, and did something about it?  What if your ride was always in tip-top shape, never broke down, and got regular, dealer-sponsored tune-ups while sitting in your garage, or even on the road?  Wouldn’t that be great?  And what if your dealer gave you a discount for letting him service your car that way?  This is the kind of aftermarket service that the IoT is making possible for industrial machine builders.

A recent blog by Sal Spada, Research Director of Discrete Automation at ARC Advisory Group, highlights the value of the Internet of Things (IoT) for machine builders looking to improve their aftermarket services.  The IoT approach to maintenance and service of industrial tools and machinery has already started, and is expected to increase significantly in the coming years.  Spada introduces a number of reasons for this increase.

Cost effective: Real-time remote monitoring done well gives the supplier full access to the machine 24/7, making it easier to spot problems before they arise. When something occurs that needs a technician, they have immediate access to the system and spend their time solving problems, rather than travelling to the site.

Competitive: Industrial customers are in it for the long haul.  Better maintenance and service translates into less downtime for the equipment, making that supplier more competitive in the marketplace.

Company Growth: As his maintenance costs go down, the machine supplier becomes more competitive in his market, and more able to afford to do business.  This can readily lead to company growth.

Using the IoT for service connectivity has found favor with suppliers of large, expensive products that typically require regular maintenance, such as cranes, hoists, elevators, and escalators, and is expected to expand in a number of areas.  ARC Advisory Group recently published a report “Production Machinery Automation” that covers a range of product segments and machinery sectors, and illustrates the growing value of the IoT in providing aftermarket services.

Cutting Costs with the Industrial IoT

What is the ongoing attraction of the Industrial IoT?  Why does it get so much press these days?  Moving past the glitz and hype, beyond the desire to follow the “next big thing”, corporate executives from IBM to GE have recognized that there are solid benefits.  And many of these benefits boil down to this: cost savings.

“Leading thinkers have looked at cost savings available in terms of productivity, new business models and environmental benefits compared to the cost of implementing these systems and they’ve determined that this is the direction they want to go,” said Steve Jennis, Senior Vice President for Corporate Development at PrismTech in a speech at Smart Industry 2015 in Chicago last October.

Jennis points out that the steady reduction in costs for hardware and data connectivity infrastructure are making the Industrial IoT possible, and increasingly accessible for more and more companies.  Multi-million dollar SCADA systems, once available only to governments and large corporations, are giving way to thousand-dollar remote monitoring and supervisory control systems that can be implemented by small and medium-sized companies.  And the reach of these systems goes far beyond the plant floor.  “We can connect the enterprise end-to-end for a reasonable cost for the first time ever,” Jennis says.  “That’s what’s making the difference.”

Challenges

That being the case, Jennis does see challenges.  There are cultural challenges of merging the IT (information technology) culture of generalized, people-focused applications with OT (operations technology) requirements for specialized, real-time, mission-critical systems.  And there are technical challenges of integrating data among machines and systems from different epocs, vendors, and locations, often using a variety of protocols and engineering units.

“From a technology standpoint,” recommends Jennis, “systems must be adopted that enable data connectivity on demand in real time across different environments to provide a global data space that can be utilized to give people what they need to do their job.”

At Skkynet we understand these challenges, and develop products like SkkyHub, DataHub, and the ETK to meet them.  At a cost far below a commercial SCADA system, and with very short implementation times, Skkynet users leverage the benefits of real-time cloud computing and off-the-shelf software to get up and running on the Industrial IoT, and start cutting their costs right away.