Mr Ganter, as Head of Product Management Remote I/O and Communication at Festo, you look after the important topic of remote I/O. Can you tell us briefly what that means for automation?
Sebastian Ganter: Remote I/O is used in automation technology to record and control input and output signals from sensors and actuators that are located far away from the central control unit. They communicate with the PLC through a network, which reduces wiring and considerably simplifies installation and maintenance. Remote I/O has become an integral part of modern automation systems.
What does the future of remote I/O look like, what is currently being discussed on the market and in companies?
Sebastian Ganter: Automation technology and the industry as a whole are developing in the direction of smart and networked solutions, which makes the future of remote I/O look very promising. We see four main topics that are currently being discussed on the market and in companies:
- Increased data availability: The demand for greater data availability and analysis is on the rise. Remote I/O systems enable more data points to be collected, and those can then be used for predictive maintenance, fault analyses and optimisations.
- Security: Networking also increases security requirements. Companies are having in-depth discussions about the security standards that need to be implemented for remote I/O systems in order to prevent cyberattacks. This means that advanced security protocols are becoming ever more important to guarantee data integrity and network security.
- Modularity and flexibility: There is a greater requirement for modular remote I/O systems that can be easily customised or expanded. This modularity enables companies to react quickly to changing requirements and save costs.
- Cloud connection: Connecting remote I/O systems to cloud services for centralised data analysis and management is becoming increasingly popular, as it enables better remote monitoring and control. In addition, remote I/O systems will benefit from the advantages of 5G wireless communication, such as greater flexibility in installation and maintenance, as well as improved connectivity over long distances. And they will play a key role in the collection and transmission of data to edge devices.
So artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) are also gaining in importance in modern machine architectures?
Sebastian Ganter: Absolutely! IoT has been a feature in the manufacturing and automation industry for quite a long time now. The new compact and intelligent I/O modules facilitate connection to the cloud, thus making remote monitoring and diagnostics possible. Sensors and actuators are getting ever smarter and data exchange is becoming simpler thanks to interoperability and open standards such as OPC-UA and MQTT. Machine learning through AI also opens up new possibilities as it enables more accurate predictions and predictive maintenance of remote I/O systems. As already mentioned, this also means that there is a stronger focus on cyber security and data privacy. Overall, the future development of remote I/O will be strongly characterised by innovations in digital technology and the requirements of the industry. Ultimately, this provides the customer with more flexibility, efficiency and security, and therefore also reduced costs.
What are the specific advantages of these new technologies?
Sebastian Ganter: The engineering team can massively reduce costs and effort and be much more flexible. A remote I/O system makes a real contribution to minimising downtimes and increasing efficiency in production. Possible faults and defects can be found quickly and directly thanks to a comprehensive diagnostics option. Last but not least, the IoT (Internet of Things) will be more widely integrated so that even more accurate and comprehensive data can be collected and analysed, leading to optimised decision-making in real time.
Modern machine architecture is becoming increasingly flexible – what exactly does that mean?
Sebastian Ganter: Nowadays, the simple scalability of modern machine architectures is important to be able to react to market requirements. These are quasi modular plug-and-play systems founded on Ethernet-based protocols such as Ethernet/IP (Modbus TCP), (Ethernet/IP™ | ODVA Technologies | Industrial Automation) EtherCAT, PROFINET, or CC-Link IE Field Basic. Remote I/O systems should therefore be easy to expand or customise in order to support additional I/O points or new functions and products such as valve terminals or drives. At the same time, space is often limited, which is another reason why flexible remote I/O systems that are compact, space-saving and yet sturdy are in demand.
That sounds like a lot of challenges for machine builders and programmers!
Sebastian Ganter: Definitely! These challenges require careful planning, selection and implementation of remote I/O systems. It is important to consider the specific requirements of the application and choose suitable solutions to guarantee efficient, reliable and ultimately cost-effective machine control. Fortunately, there are many good and innovative solutions that are already available to users and that can be perfectly customised to a wide range of needs and, at the end of the day, can also significantly reduce overall costs.
