Producers recognise the benefits of smart factories using new manufacturing models to improve productivity. Users wanting factories that do not make mistakes, that do not stop, now have a new option. Mitsubishi Electric’s extended range of MELIPC Industrial computers for data computing, edge computing, remote monitoring and control applications.
MELIPC Series enables IoT on factory floors where it is not currently enabled or enhances existing installations. MELIPC edge processing computer processes data at the point of generation instead of a centralised location. This delivers improved integration of hardware and software leading to faster speeds and efficiencies. It’s design and operation meet the neds of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and end-users who are running general manufacturing applications. It also suits users requiring a computing and data monitoring solution that takes up a limited amount of space.
The MELIPC edge computing Series supports the collection of data from across production sites and in addition to the operation of facilities and production equipment. They come preinstalled with Edgecross Basic Software and SLMP data collector for visualisation of collected data for improving site productivity. All models in the MELIPC Series also have preinstalled Windows and other software supporting edge computing and high-speed data transmission.
MELIPC edge computing
MELIPC helps make manufacturing quality and productivity gains in industries such as automotive, food & beverage and life science using. The real-time process software provides local diagnostics, predictive feedback and visualisation for shop-floor analytics and early feedback to the operators. Analysis algorithms for predictive maintenance and quality control are already on-board of the MELIPC Series.
In continuous production applications it can improve processes as well as adapting to variables. Generating a live predictive model updated and refined based on new demands from the process improves efficiencies. A packaging machine in a food & beverage application for instance can predict issues and avoid mistakes, thereby improving quality.
MELIPC predictive analysis can recognise anomalies in machine status in real-time by making use of artificial intelligence (AI) preventing downtime. By reporting detailed status information back to the automation level, machine operators can make early changes or maintenance interventions to avoid unplanned downtime.
Data security
Processing data at the physical edge of operations can also improve data security and process integrity. In a life science application, one use for MELIPC can be to store and analyse sensitive information on OT level, instead of it sending it to the cloud. This also provides much faster real-time-diagnosis while reducing IT infrastructure cost and requirements.
MELIPC edge computing also complements Mitsubishi Electric’s existing edge computing portfolio of MAPS SCADA, data logging and C-Controller modules.
