ABB has joined the Open Manufacturing Platform (OMP), a global initiative combining the expertise and resources of leading manufacturers, technology companies and system integrators to promote innovation across the manufacturing sector.
ABB, with its experience and knowledge in robotic automation, will work with other members in the OMP ecosystem, including BMW and Microsoft, two founding members of the OMP, to create industry standards and best practices to enable faster and easier integration of robots in the manufacturing process through the development of platform-agnostic solutions.
Innovation in IoT, AI, machine learning and the expanded possibilities offered by 5G are driving the digital transformation in manufacturing, with a growing number of companies planning or beginning to adopt these technologies into the core of their operations.
However, many organizations remain unsure about the best way to approach digitalization. According to a 2018 survey of industrial companies undertaken by McKinsey & Company1 while 80 per cent of respondents reported that they had undertaken some form of digital initiative, only 16 per cent said that they had done so successfully. One reason for this is a lack of expertise in many companies about how to approach digitalization and which technologies to use to achieve it.
ABB has developed digital solutions, with its cloud-based ABB Ability Connected Services enabling it to remotely monitor the performance of its robots to help spot potential issues before they can escalate.
“We are working to combine our experience in robotic automation with the latest innovation in technology to help our customers find new ways to improve their efficiency and productivity,” says Arno Strotgen, Group Senior Vice President, Head of Customer Service & Digital Platform for ABB Robotics & Discrete Automation. “Along with innovating with offerings such as our ABB AbilityTM Connected Services, we are also investing in the research and development of new software solutions to build a strong digital future for manufacturing companies.”
As part of the Open Manufacturing Platform alliance, ABB will work with the other community members to create new solutions which will integrate with current platforms and enable customers to reap the benefits of digitalization without having to create their own solutions from scratch. This will include defining standards for combining different technological components to create integrated solutions and frameworks that can operate securely across shared industrial data platforms.
“The developing capability of digital technology is accelerating the convergence between IT and operational technologies (OT) and ABB is well positioned to help our customers maximize the value that they get through this convergence,” says Boris Fiedler, Global Digital Leader for ABB Robotics. “Robotics enables greater connectivity between the factory floor and manufacturing and planning systems, opening access to data that can be easily accessed and shared to enable manufacturers to optimize their entire production processes.”
1 - McKinsey & Company – ‘Unlocking success in digital transformations’, published October 2018
