Case Study: MOXA Technology – Helping Enterprises Accelerate Factory Intranet Transformation

Enterprise intranets and extranets are the foundation for building the Industrial Internet (MIIT Information and Communications Administration, 2020), from smart factory systems to every aspect of life. Product production cycles and intelligent functions all rely on network data transmission, making network construction a prerequisite for advancing digital transformation. Leveraging decades of experience in industrial automation, Moxa Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "MOXA") is committed to providing reliable networking solutions and building robust communication networks to enable interaction, communication, and collaboration among devices, systems, processes, and people.

MOXA's industrial communication products have passed numerous international, national, and industry standard certifications, providing stable communication support for industrial field devices and laying the foundation for enterprise interconnection. MOXA provides reliable Industrial Internet network solutions to companies in the power, oil and gas, shipping, road transportation, and smart manufacturing sectors in over 70 countries and regions.

Modern smart factories use sensors and information and communication technologies to connect devices and collect and analyze data (Jiao Hongshuo & Lu Jianxia, 2018). This collected data is used to control equipment and devices to improve production efficiency. Smart factory communication solutions must meet four requirements: interconnect with all devices, including but not limited to those in traditional factory architectures; support protocol conversion between different devices; provide comprehensive cyberattack protection; and maximize global device efficiency (Lu Yangguang, 2020). Based on these four requirements, MOXA divides the entire smart factory architecture into the device layer, the control layer, and the information layer. At the device layer, traditional devices, fieldbus devices, and Ethernet devices are connected via serial ports or fieldbuses to achieve IP-based networked communication, improving operational efficiency. At the control layer, industrial Ethernet and WLAN can achieve the same level of wired connectivity. Wireless network connections require redundancy and stability. Industrial security routers can protect critical assets and provide secure access to public networks. Through the stable device and control layers, data can securely reach the information layer for cloud sharing.

With over 30 years of industry communications experience, MOXA has participated in numerous major domestic projects, including the Olympic Bird's Nest broadcast system, the Water Cube's omnidirectional lighting control system, the Expo Axis lighting control system, and Hong Kong rice paddies. Furthermore, MOXA has participated in numerous national intelligent manufacturing pilot projects, including the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge's intelligent monitoring system and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau power monitoring system. Guided by national initiatives and policies, MOXA has also participated in numerous national intelligent manufacturing pilot projects, including the Shandong Central Air Conditioning Plant Workshop Network, the Liuzhou Passenger Vehicle Welding Workshop Network, and intelligent sheet metal manufacturing. MOXA has also accumulated extensive consulting and design experience in projects at established pharmaceutical companies, including the Northeast Steel Plant project, the Beijing Multi-Mode Intelligent Flexible Pilot Project, and the Beijing Smart Warehouse project.

Company A established a workshop network in 2015. The underlying infrastructure connected the workshop screens, the workshop, various equipment, and instruments. This factory system established a data communication path from the workshop to the online store. The magnetic bearing central air conditioner, a product advantage, reduced power consumption by 60%, was fully customizable, and quickly reduced raw material inventory. However, once the system was complete, minor issues arose, such as mismatches between warehouse shipments and production line quantities, and AGV lags on the assembly line. Troubleshooting the issues took nearly a year. Later, MOXA joined the project and discovered that the industrial site's communication switches were not industrial-grade, but rather ordinary commercial-grade switches. After careful discussions and multiple demonstrations with Company A, MOXA was chosen as the optimal choice for their workshop network. This troubleshooting not only helped the customer identify issues but also helped them organize their factory's intranet capabilities and establish a stable and reliable industrial communication network.

Technically, the switch technology is the same, but industrial network switches are specifically designed for industrial use. They offer numerous additional features. Industrial sites generally lack air conditioning, and temperatures in industrial production environments can drop below 0°C or exceed 60°C for extended periods. Equipment must withstand the effects of ambient temperatures to maintain normal operation. In industrial production, high-power motors are used for power generation. To perform their functions, these motors inevitably exert a strong impact on the power supply, subjecting some weak current lines to electromagnetic interference. Communications equipment cannot withstand such impacts, resulting in various problems, including data loss, confusion, and, in the worst case, chip failure. MOXA products feature additional special protection against RF magnetic fields, power frequency magnetic fields, pulsed magnetic fields, electrostatic immunity, surges, current immunity, voltage drops, and short-term power outages.

After switching to industrial communication equipment, data communication became fully operational, completely resolving the previously frequent issues. Furthermore, MOXA's ring network mechanism provides rapid network redundancy, ensuring that even a network cable disconnection does not affect the normal operation of the entire production line. Since then, the production dashboard, workstation machines, RFID scanners, smart meters, flow meters, and other equipment have been continuously connected and operating trouble-free for over three years. Company A highly praised the quality of the equipment.

In automotive production, you'll often hear the term "takt time." This refers to the time required to manufacture a vehicle, typically used on assembly lines. The same applies to welding lines. For example, 40 JPH means the welding of 40 vehicles is completed in one hour. A network of specialized bus welding workshops in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, was built using MOXA equipment. In this industrial environment, the most challenging on-site conditions aren't temperature, but rather pervasive electromagnetic interference and unstable power supplies. The entire flexible production line is operated by 38 robots, including numerous welders. For the robots, the very beginning of welding generates electromagnetic interference. Furthermore, the power supply experiences severe jitter, making it difficult for standard commercial-grade equipment to operate stably in this environment.

When designing the network, the company had to ensure reliability and uninterrupted production. A production line failure could result in daily losses of up to 3 million yuan. Therefore, Moxa implemented a reliable redundant ring network design. Taking into account the fact that production lines remain unchanged, the self-healing protection time was increased. If a network cable is disconnected, the Gigabit redundant ring network can self-heal within 50ms. The access switches directly connected to the equipment also provide high-strength protection, equivalent to that of PLCs, ensuring stable operation even in harsh environments. Upon completion of the project, the entire production line will be equipped with four loading stations, with a total workforce of only four. The wired production cycle will be 40 JPH, with an equipment failure rate below 3.5%, enabling flexible production. Different machine models can be simultaneously used, with a replacement cycle of less than 120 seconds. Switching is automatic. The equipment has met design standards and has received high praise from customers.

Ensure the stability and reliability of factory equipment and actively carry out the research and development of 5G industrial-grade CPE

Network construction is fundamental to the development of the Industrial Internet, but the characteristics of factory networks differ significantly from those in commercial environments. Stability is paramount in factory networks. Unplanned downtime and product burnout can impact the entire production line, causing serious production accidents and even endangering employee lives. Equipment operates in environments distinct from those encountered by commercial equipment. The voltage, current, and electromagnetic environment of various devices in industrial environments vary significantly and are unpredictable during operation. These uncertainties are directly borne by the equipment and are subject to general interference.

Severe interference can directly damage equipment and even the entire production line. Therefore, when establishing factory networks, product performance and performance must be strictly regulated in accordance with relevant industry standards to ensure stable production operations. MOXA products undergo rigorous testing after design, and each product has corresponding industry certifications. MOXA attaches great importance to new technologies and emerging developments in industrial communications, particularly TSN and 5G, which have become increasingly popular both domestically and internationally. In 2019, MOXA actively participated in numerous TSN product trials hosted by the Industrial Internet Alliance and participated in the development of TSN standards. Similarly, facing the rapid development of 5G, MOXA has also made significant strides in the research and development of 5G industrial-grade CPE. This is because the biggest demand for communications in industrial scenarios is reliable, low-latency Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communications (URLLC). MOXA is more interested in communications and is committed to improving the stability of 5G standards and striving to launch new products as soon as the standards are improved.

MOXA is a renowned brand in the industrial communications field. Founded in Taiwan in 1987, it boasts a history spanning over 33 years. Since its founding, the company has consistently focused on providing industrial communications products and solutions to industrial users and various industrial sites.

[References]

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3. Lu Yangguang. Construction method and application of digital twin factory for intelligent manufacturing[D]. Dalian University of Technology, 2020[2021–12–28].