Industry 4.0 and IIC standards are combined for the first time, greatly reducing manufacturing costs in German factories

A German hydraulic valve production plant has become the first company in the world to combine the German Industry 4.0 platform technical standards with the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) standards. The Bosch plant in Humboldt is using various technologies to manage and optimize its processes to avoid excessive power consumption during peak periods. Until now, the lack of a common language has hindered the smooth coordination of manufacturing, logistics, construction and energy management. 'As we move towards a connected industry, the two standards are moving closer,' said Dr. Werner Struth, member of the Bosch Board of Directors. 'The combination of the two standards paves the way for Bosch and other international companies to create new cross-border business opportunities in Industry 4.0 solutions. He added: “This standard shows for the first time how we can effectively combine Industry 4.0 platform standards with IIC standards in connected production.” If all the energy-intensive equipment in the Humboldt plant were synchronized To operate, power consumption during peak periods can be high, which increases manufacturing costs. By using software in the factory to manage production and power consumption, peak loads can be reduced by 10%, reducing manufacturing costs and improving competitiveness. These production lines based on the Industry 4.0 platform are interacting with energy management systems using the IIC standard. The project is managed by an international consortium of Germany's SAP, Dassault Systèmes and India's Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), and Bosch: Bosch is responsible for collecting data from the plant's equipment to generate a flow of information about electricity consumption. In addition, Bosch offers energy management software. 3D expert Dassault is responsible for providing a multi-dimensional map of the plant's equipment and functions, 'digital reproduction' of the factory, and visualization of the production process and power consumption through the multi-dimensional map. SAP is responsible for providing application services that record and analyze data in real time. TCS uses its expertise for system integration. Bosch's energy management system is based on the IIRA structure of the IIC and is connected to the production equipment through the RAMI4.0 structure of the Industry 4.0 platform. RAMI and IIRA standards are compatible with each other, enabling software-based data exchange between production lines and energy management systems. The Industry 4.0 platform originated in Germany with the aim of creating a technological framework for connected manufacturing. The IIC takes a broader and more international approach focused on cross-sectoral connectivity based on IoT. Both parties have each developed their own reference structures. 'Industry 4.0 is an international issue,' says Struth. 'Without competing corporate standards or different national norms, only a truly global approach can realize its full potential.'