Industrial Development Hub for Virtual Control Project Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems face challenges in efficient development and testing due to complexity and the need for physical installations before realistic testing can begin, leading to delays and cost overruns, as well as difficulties in managing and protecting proprietary intellectual property from failures and cyber-attacks.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-based Industrial Development Hub (IDH) provides a repository system with user interface, project analysis, and simulation components to design, test, and manage industrial control projects, enabling virtualization and simulation of industrial automation systems, facilitating real-time feedback, project optimization, and secure management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If physical installation is performed before realistic testing, then testing can be conducted, but development time and costs increase due to delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a digital twin (virtual copy) of the industrial automation system that includes virtual representations of controllers, devices, and control logic. This digital twin enables realistic testing and simulation without requiring physical installation, thereby resolving the contradiction by providing testing capability while eliminating time delays associated with physical deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary testing, validation, and optimization of control projects within the digital twin environment before physical deployment. This preliminary action allows complete testing of control logic and system behavior in advance, eliminating the need for time-consuming post-installation testing and adjustments.
2Reliability
If physical installation is performed before testing, then testing can begin, but costs overrun due to delays and rework
Solution Approach 1:
By using a digital twin as a virtual copy of the physical system, the patent enables complete testing and validation before physical deployment. This eliminates costly rework, commissioning delays, and optimization iterations that would otherwise require physical presence and manual intervention, thereby reducing overall development costs while maintaining full testing capability.
3Productivity
If control projects are deployed directly to industrial devices, then implementation is achieved, but proprietary intellectual property is vulnerable to failures and cyber-attacks
Solution Approach 1:
The digital twin serves as an intermediary layer between the development environment and the physical industrial devices. All control logic is developed, tested, and validated within the digital twin before being deployed to physical devices. This intermediary approach maintains security by keeping the primary system in the virtual environment while enabling rapid deployment of validated control projects to physical devices when needed.
4Ease of manufacture
If complex control projects are developed without virtualization, then development can proceed, but management and protection of proprietary assets becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The digital twin creates a virtual copy of the entire industrial automation system including controllers, devices, networks, and control logic. This virtualization enables centralized management, version control, and protection of proprietary assets within the digital environment. Developers can work with complex control projects in the digital twin without increasing management complexity, as the virtual environment provides built-in organization, tracking, and security features.
Data Source
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AI summary
An industrial development hub (IDH) supports industrial development and testing capabilities that are offered as a cloud-based service. The IDH comprises an enhanced storage platform and associated design tools that serve as a repository on which customers can store control project code, device configurations, and other digital aspects of an industrial automation project. The IDH system can facilitate discovery and management of digital content associated with control systems, and can be used for system backup and restore, code conversion, and version management. The IDH also supports simulation-based design and testing tools.