– Interface to Industry 4.0 planned
Euromap 63 specifically covers the exchange of order and status data between injection molding machines and host computers. It was defined in 2000 by the European Committee of Machinery Manufacturers. “Due to the technical developments and advances in recent years, an amendment is urgently needed. We are therefore working intensively on updating the recommendations. The successor to Euromap 63 will be Euromap 77”, explains task force leader Dr. Harald Weber, of the VDMA.
An important, new aspect of Euromap 77 will be an interface to Industry 4.0, the future project of the German Federal Government geared primarily towards promoting the computerization of production engineering. “Seamless communication all the way from the sensor to the Internet, for example, is a precondition for Industry 4.0. The goal is to define harmonized, new recommendations for data exchange in the Injection Molding Machinery segment. This offers great potential for the future”, adds Günther Grimm, Head of Software/Control Systems at KraussMaffei. The project will, it is expected, be supported by the Software Interface Standard OPC UA (Unified Architecture), which has been suggested as the basis by the working group. It provides for data exchange between all systems within a company and, thus, is a key requirement for data communication under Industry 4.0.
The result of the fourth workshop at KraussMaffei is a draft paper, which will now be submitted to European Euromap members for review and vote. The first international conference on Euromap 77 is scheduled for mid June.
The KraussMaffei product brand is internationally recognized for its groundbreaking, multitechnology system and process solutions for injection and reaction molding technology and factory automation. With its standalone, modular or standardized machinery and systems, and a wide, customizable service offering, KraussMaffei is a full-system partner for customers in many industry sectors. KraussMaffei bundles many decades of engineering expertise in plastics machinery and is headquartered in Munich, Germany. For more information: www.kraussmaffei.com
The KraussMaffei Group is among the world’s leading suppliers of machinery and systems for producing and processing plastics and rubber. Its products and services cover the whole spectrum of injection and reaction molding and extrusion technology, giving the company a unique position in the industry. The KraussMaffei Group is innovation-powered, supplying its products, processes and services as standard or custom solutions which deliver sustained added value along the customer’s value-adding chain. The company markets it’s offering under the KraussMaffei, KraussMaffei Berstorff and Netstal brands to customers in the automotive, packaging, medical, construction, electrical, electronics and home appliance industries. Continuing a long tradition of engineering excellence, the international KraussMaffei Group currently employs around 4,000 people. With a global network of more than 30 subsidiaries and more than 10 production plants, supported by around 570 sales and service partners, the company is close to customers around the world. KraussMaffei has been headquartered in Munich since 1838. For more information: www.kraussmaffeigroup.com