Integration in Integrated Industry
Strong individualisation of products using very versatile mass production requires comprehensive digitisation and networking of all areas of the value chain: all this is what makes up Industry 4.0.
Integration takes place on different levels and is characteristic for Integrated Industry; it uses the data generated by digitisation. HARTING aspires to make industrial production data as easy to use as possible for new services. Our HARTING MICA uses a software containers strategy which allows it to be easily integrated by our partners. It is a collaborative task that leads to complex value creation networks.
HARTING relies heavily on partnerships for its integration – for example, by establishing the productive MICA.network partnership network. Partners are responsible for integrating MICA-based solutions into existing IT systems, so they are able to leverage their IT process expertise.
Solutions for linking the MICA platform with cloud services from different providers are developed in this way.
MICA Manufacturing Analytics, from HARTING and IBM, creates more transparency in production and encourages efficient actions. The approach is simple: MICA sensor components on the power lines measure the power consumption of individual consumer loads This data is transferred to MICA and saved there on-site. MICA makes the initial analysis and sends only relevant data to IBM's Bluemix (IBM's cloud platform). There, the data is evaluated using Watson technology and converted into valuable information, which can be queried from any web browser. In this way, users can compare over weeks and months to see exactly when and how each individual machine is working.
Functional integration integrates functions into the physical connectivity; this results in smart connectivity. New services can take advantage of the detection of objects, diagnostics and facility conditions, as well as the measurement of important data such as the current energy consumption. Components of the MICA® can be found in connectors: for measuring currents in the power connectors used for automotive production, for the intelligent sealing of the connector in the wall box, or for identification in the ID module.
