Though the Olympics have simply wrapped up, I nonetheless discover myself fascinated by the grace and precision of ice dancing. That’s most likely why this video of German producer SEW’s new manufacturing unit jogs my memory a lot of the game. Like skaters, the autonomous guided automobiles (AGVs) gliding by means of SEW’s plant in Brumath, France must observe exact choreography. And on the manufacturing unit flooring as on the ice, a single misstep can have main penalties. Assume line stoppages, collisions, and different questions of safety.
SEW is a number one producer of drive techniques and automation know-how. For its good manufacturing unit in Brumath, the corporate wanted ultra-reliable connectivity for the AGVs that transport supplies all through the manufacturing course of. Whereas Wi-Fi performs effectively for manufacturing unit IT units like tablets and programmable logic controllers, it isn’t designed to ship uninterrupted connectivity to cell robots roaming between protection zones. A short lapse whereas the connection is handed off to a distinct entry level may cause an AGV to cease in its tracks. That’s vital for security, however it will probably deliver manufacturing to a halt. One other limitation of Wi-Fi for cell robots is that RF interference from metallic buildings, densely packed pallets, or equipment can block alerts.
SEW discovered its answer for AGVs in Cisco Extremely-Dependable Wi-fi Backhaul (URWB), built-in into the identical Cisco entry factors that present Wi-Fi. SEW’s head of commercial IT, Michel de Hatten, says, “Cisco URWB manages roaming in a basically totally different means than Wi-Fi, permitting our cell gear to remain related with out interruption, even whereas transferring.” What are these variations? First, when a cell asset strikes to a brand new protection zone, URWB makes the brand new connection earlier than breaking the earlier connection.
Second, AGVs can talk round interference and obstacles due to URWB’s multi-path operations (MPO) know-how. Excessive-priority packets are duplicated as much as eight instances and despatched over redundant paths, over uncorrelated frequencies, and at a number of instances inside a couple of milliseconds. With spatial, frequency, and time variety, messages to and from SEW’s AGVs arrive reliably—a method or one other.
Bonus factors: Not solely does URWB join SEW’s AGVs extra reliably than Wi-Fi, but it surely gives protection with about 50% fewer entry factors.
Any means you rating it, SEW is reaching gold-medal manufacturing unit efficiency with Cisco URWB.
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