iTAC Software AG, a Dürr Group company, has been using OPC UA technology to meet Industry 4.0 requirements for several years now. The company will be showcasing two new developments in this context for smart production at HANNOVER MESSE (Hall 7, Stand B18). One is the iTAC.OPCUA.Service for coupling production systems to the iTAC.MES.Suite via the platform-independent OPC UA protocol. The integration of the service in an existing or new system prior to commissioning is supported by iTAC.smart.OPCUAStudio.
iTAC was the first company in the market to use the OPC UA interface standard for integration in its MES in 2013, thereby enabling communication with the cloud at field bus level. “OPC UA is far more than just a next version of the previous COM-based OPC Classic and it’s in the process of becoming the established standard in the Industry 4.0 environment,” explained Volker Burch, Vice President Advanced Technology of iTAC Software AG.
Designed for MES/system coupling and M2M
The new iTAC.OPCUA.Service which is being presented at HANNOVER MESSE is designed to connect systems that are equipped with PLC to the iTAC.MES.Suite. Efficient binary protocols and the lean system architecture, combined with modern PLC, simplifies commissioning, reduces operating costs and enhances data communication performance. The new iTAC service is also designed to support M2M communication and industrial IoT.
iTAC.OPCUA.Service is based on the latest Java platform and can therefore be seamlessly integrated in the iTAC.MES.Suite’s JEE7-compatible system architecture. OPC UA’s security features such as encryption, authentication and authorization are fully supported by the service. It is therefore the ideal solution for security critical applications.
Link between the MES and system
To integrate the service in an existing or new system, iTAC has developed a product called iTAC.smart.OPCUAStudio. It is a tool that creates the configurations for the iTAC.OPCUA.Service. The service interprets the configurations, thereby creating the bridge between the system and the iTAC.MES.Suite.
In conjunction with the proven iTAC.smartFactoryAppStudio, this provides full graphic support of all commissioning-related tasks, from the creation of system workflows to links with PLC functional components.
With this development iTAC has gained a genuine competitive advantage and reconfirmed its Industry 4.0 competence. “In the future, data will be shared via open standards in smart factories, and control functions will be more independent and flexible. Rolling out modern, platform-independent communication technologies is the key to sustainable Industry 4.0 solutions,” explained Dieter Meuser, CTO of iTAC Software AG.
iTAC was the first company in the market to use the OPC UA interface standard for integration in its MES in 2013, thereby enabling communication with the cloud at field bus level. “OPC UA is far more than just a next version of the previous COM-based OPC Classic and it’s in the process of becoming the established standard in the Industry 4.0 environment,” explained Volker Burch, Vice President Advanced Technology of iTAC Software AG.
Designed for MES/system coupling and M2M
The new iTAC.OPCUA.Service which is being presented at HANNOVER MESSE is designed to connect systems that are equipped with PLC to the iTAC.MES.Suite. Efficient binary protocols and the lean system architecture, combined with modern PLC, simplifies commissioning, reduces operating costs and enhances data communication performance. The new iTAC service is also designed to support M2M communication and industrial IoT.
iTAC.OPCUA.Service is based on the latest Java platform and can therefore be seamlessly integrated in the iTAC.MES.Suite’s JEE7-compatible system architecture. OPC UA’s security features such as encryption, authentication and authorization are fully supported by the service. It is therefore the ideal solution for security critical applications.
Link between the MES and system
To integrate the service in an existing or new system, iTAC has developed a product called iTAC.smart.OPCUAStudio. It is a tool that creates the configurations for the iTAC.OPCUA.Service. The service interprets the configurations, thereby creating the bridge between the system and the iTAC.MES.Suite.
In conjunction with the proven iTAC.smartFactoryAppStudio, this provides full graphic support of all commissioning-related tasks, from the creation of system workflows to links with PLC functional components.
With this development iTAC has gained a genuine competitive advantage and reconfirmed its Industry 4.0 competence. “In the future, data will be shared via open standards in smart factories, and control functions will be more independent and flexible. Rolling out modern, platform-independent communication technologies is the key to sustainable Industry 4.0 solutions,” explained Dieter Meuser, CTO of iTAC Software AG.
