Cloud Part Health Modeling for Industrial Automation Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems face inefficiencies in scaling process control due to reliance on dedicated OT hardware, which limits capability and requires cumbersome hardware upgrades and tracking, leading to potential loss of change history and increased error risk.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-computing system models part health using sensed data to identify life stages, recommending replacements and coordinating procurement and maintenance, optimizing production based on sales trends, and ensuring accurate tracking through automated repair and change management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dedicated OT hardware is used for process control, then system reliability is improved, but device complexity and scalability are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the industrial automation system into multiple independent computing systems, each capable of running process control independently. This allows the system to scale by adding individual computing systems rather than requiring complex hardware upgrades, thereby improving scalability while maintaining reliability through distributed control architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universal computing systems that can perform multiple functions including process control, data analysis, and communication. These computing systems can be configured for different control tasks through software rather than requiring dedicated hardware for each function, reducing device complexity while maintaining system reliability.
2Productivity
If more OT hardware is acquired to scale process control, then productivity is improved, but loss of time and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements pre-configured computing systems with standardized process control software and communication protocols. These systems are prepared in advance and can be rapidly deployed to scaling positions without requiring time-consuming customization, thereby improving productivity while minimizing acquisition and configuration time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables replication of proven computing system configurations across multiple locations. Once a computing system is optimized for a specific control task, its configuration can be copied and deployed to additional systems, rapidly scaling productivity without repeating the configuration process and reducing time loss.
3Measurement precision
If manual tracking of OT hardware changes is performed, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automated feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor and report changes in computing system configurations, hardware status, and operational parameters. This automated tracking eliminates manual recording errors, improving measurement precision while significantly easing operational burden through centralized monitoring dashboards.
Solution Approach 2:
The computing systems automatically track and report their own configuration changes, hardware status, and performance metrics without requiring manual intervention. This self-service capability ensures accurate change tracking while freeing operators from tedious manual tracking tasks, greatly improving ease of operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
Described systems and methods may enable a cloud-computing system to use data model-based analysis to manage maintenance of an industrial automation system based on life stage predictions and real-time evaluations. Based on the data model-based analyses, the cloud-computing system may instruct an industrial control system of the industrial automation system to implement recommended adjustments and/or to confirm a part replacement occurred in situ. The recommended adjustment may include a part replacement. The cloud-computing system may generate instructions to cause shipment of the part to be installed as part of the part replacement to the industrial automation system.