Manufacturing Intelligence & Data Management

Mitsubishi’s FA-IT open platform supports competitive global manufacturers

Recognising the demand from manufactures to optimize their total manufacturing processes by using IoT, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has just announced its new FA-IT Open Platform for factory automation.

Edge computing model

Based around edge computing, the platform facilitates connectivity between factory shop floors and value chains via Internet of things (IoT). It enables the rapid collection, analysis and utilisation of vast amounts of data collected and modelled from a wide variety of production equipment, including existing equipment. The key features of the new FA-IT platform include:

Application development and connection to production equipment

Vendors are free to download the development environment to create manufacturing applications for operation on the platform. This includes connecting the platform to industrial networks for the collection of data from diverse devices and production equipment. Mitsubishi Electric is also considering opening an online application store.

Simple data model construction for manufacturing sites

Users can design, manage and access equipment data models based on the Industry 4.0 administration shell that is used for storing information on the design, operation and maintenance of total equipment in factories. This can be done without expert knowledge in subjects such as programming. From this, users can effectively select and analyse the data.

Connection with various cloud and IT systems

The cloud-connected platform will link manufacturing sites with IT vendors’ own cloud-supported manufacturing-optimisation services for supply chains, administration of multiple factories worldwide and other applications.

In addition to continuing development of the platform itself, Mitsubishi Electric will collaborate with IT companies and others in developing applications for the platform. They say the focus will be on connection to increased equipment and devices, strengthening security measures and incorporating artificial intelligence.

The platform will also be integrated with solutions based on Mitsubishi Electric’s e-F@ctory ecosystem for factory automation and extended to e-F@ctory Alliance partners

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