Smart Factory Communication Solution

The smart factory is a new stage in the development of modern factory informatization. It is based on the foundation of digital factories, utilizing the technology of the Internet of Things and equipment monitoring technology to enhance information management and services. It comprehensively grasps the production and sales processes, improves the controllability of the production process, reduces manual intervention on the production line, accurately collects production line data in real time, and arranges reasonable production plans and schedules. It integrates emerging technologies such as green intelligent methods and intelligent systems to build an efficient and energy-saving, environmentally friendly, and comfortable humanized factory. It is the result of IBM’s “Smart Earth” concept applied to the manufacturing industry.

System Functions

The key to realizing Industry 4.0 in the electronics manufacturing industry lies in building smart factories, which require intelligent hardware equipment, the collection and perception of various data, and the implementation of complementary application software. Among them, the monitoring and remote diagnosis of equipment’s status are crucial for unmanned factories. Supported by a large amount of data from the long-term operation of equipment and coupled with secure and reliable cloud computing capabilities, the ultimate goal is to achieve efficient management of equipment status. The main system modules are as follows:

Intelligent Warehousing: Automatic material preparation, automatic loading;

Smart Workshop: Automated production, assembly, packaging;

Intelligent Quality Control: Automated quality control;

Integration with Other Systems: Integration with ERP, MES systems;

Traceability Management: Traceability of materials, production processes, quality control, and other aspects.

System Architecture Diagram

System Principles

On the production line, various data-collecting devices (such as electricity meters, PLCs, sensors, etc.) are installed. These devices are connected to the Alotcer AR7088H Industrial LTE router RS485 via serial ports. Production equipment’s power consumption, current, voltage, pressure, production quantity, equipment alarm information, and other data are polled using Modbus commands. After collecting the data, it is extracted and transformed into MQTT (or TCP) protocol JSON (or transparent transmission) format and reported to the MES platform through 4G/5G wireless networks. The MES platform conducts statistical storage and analysis of this data, controlling various aspects such as product quality, equipment maintenance, and environmental protection, and energy saving.

System Composition Description

AR7088H & 5G/4G Wireless Industrial LTE Router

1. Supports 5G-SA/NSA, providing 5G/4G full-network high-speed network services.
2. Equipped with three network ports, dual serial ports, dual SIM card slots, WiFi, GPS/BeiDou positioning and communication. Compact size for DIN rail installation.
3. Compatible with standard protocols such as OPC UA and MQTT. Supports mainstream IoT platforms such as Alibaba, Huawei, China Mobile, and China Telecom.
4. Acts as a protocol gateway, supporting Modbus, Siemens PLC series, surface water, environmental monitoring 212, power protocols, and more.
5. Offers practical functions including Ntrip, VRRP, traffic statistics, blacklists/whitelists, data stream filtering, and DTU (Data Terminal Unit) capabilities.
6. Product holds certifications from authoritative institutions including China Electric Power Research Institute’s type testing certification, security encryption certification, and China Compulsory Certification (3C).
7. Wide voltage range of 5 – 35VDC, cold resistance down to -40 – 80°C, anti-interference capabilities, and 24/7 operation.

Sensors: Collect various environmental parameters such as temperature and humidity in the working environment and adjust them in real-time.
Electric Meters: Gather electricity consumption data, monitor current, voltage, and power usage for ABC three-phase systems.
CNC Systems: Capture parameters like machine tool pressure, temperature, alarms, production quantity, and equipment status to monitor and record production processes.
PLCs: Acquire diverse production parameters from equipment.

System Advantages

Standard MQTT Protocol: Utilizing the standard MQTT protocol and compatible with major IoT platforms, ensuring broad applicability.

Flexible Industrial Protocol Support: Supporting multiple industrial protocols for downstream integration, catering to diverse customization needs.

JSON Format for Customization: Employing JSON format with customizable data factors at both ends, offering flexibility to align with MES system data requirements.

High-Speed Wireless Transmission: Leveraging 5G/4G wireless high-bandwidth transmission, unaffected by wiring distance constraints. Facilitating high-frequency and large data reporting to meet real-time data demands.

Data Platform

AR7088H collects and reports data to the MES platform based on customer-configured collection frequency and reporting parameters. The MES platform receives real-time data for analysis, aggregation, storage, and recording. Leveraging big data, it enables control and optimization of various production aspects.