Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, Intel Japan to partner on factory automation testbed

Hitachi has announced that along with Mitsubishi Electric and Intel Japan that it has proposed, and received approval for, a factory automation platform-as-a-service (FA PaaS) testbed for next-generation factories at the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC).

The testbed will trial open Internet of Things (IoT) platforms that integrate FA in the front lines of manufacturing and IT in collaboration with Mitsubishi Electric and Intel. Solutions which may be involved in the testbed include IoT big data processing platforms, IoT head-end systems, and IoT gateways that securely connect the service platform layer with the FA environment, as well as FA edge devices that provide functions unique to FA applications, and which also enable communications with FA devices in the field. In addition, IoT platforms that can accelerate application development for next-generation factories by making available an integrated environment between the FA environment and the service platform layer may also be trialled.

Hitachi will manage IT-related products (IoT data processing platforms, IoT head end systems etc), software which connects each device in this testbed, and system integration of the testbed. Mitsubishi Electric is in charge of the FA environment - FA edge devices, applications, programmable logic controllers (PLC), and drive units, and Intel is in charge of IoT gateways, with supporting coordination with IIC. 

Going forward, Hitachi will complete tests of secure connections between the FA environment and service platform layer, as well as tests of the effectiveness of testbed functions and the flow of operational data from the perspective of the front lines of manufacturing, by June 2017. After that, it will conduct use case testing with IIC member companies and customers.

Hitachi introduced the Lumada IoT platform, which combines IT with operational technologies (OT), in May 2016. Lumada can be linked with other platforms and systems not only in the manufacturing industry, but in other industries as well. Hitachi will incorporate the results of these tests into Lumada, and collaborate with partners like FA device vendors and application providers to create new solutions on the basis of the data. Hitachi will also work with partners around the world to submit joint proposals to standards organisations in addition to the IIC.