Sustainable Plastics - May/June 2020 - 25

digitalisation
tors will also increase energy
savings. Traditionally, motors in
factories run at full speed when
they don't always need to, wasting precious energy. Using VSDs
allows for more control over a
motor and adjusts the speed or
torque according to the factory's actual needs. This means
the motor only draws the power
needed to perform the task, reducing waste. Adding VSDs can
unlock energy savings to its full
potential - with a strong chance
to reduce energy consumption
between 20 to 60 percent.

The digital powertrain is
the next step
The next step in digitalisation
is condition monitoring for
entire powertrains. This provides a customisable, scalable approach that connects
the various drives, motors,
mounted bearings, pumps
and gearing used in critical
process equipment.
Each asset in the powertrain
sends data to the cloud, which
is then analysed and presented
in the form of simple, actionable
information that can be viewed
in a single unified portal. This
information not only allows
manufacturers to predict when
maintenance is required, but it
gives them a broad picture of
the unique influence components have on one another. The
solution allows them to improve
the performance, reliability and
efficiency of their powertrain
components which in turn improves system optimisation. Engineers who are not specialised
across all of the processes on
large sites benefit too, as they
get a detailed understanding of
their equipment.

The people factor

It is not just a question of having the right technology. Any
solution must also consider
the effects on workers and put
people first. For digitalisation
to get a proper foothold, digital skills training needs to take
place across the board - from
blue-collar workers whose jobs
will otherwise be automated, to
managers who need to become
more data literate. Maintenance
engineers, in particular, need to
develop a broader set of skills.
Another option is to create

larger, more fluid teams than
has traditionally been the case,
combining a range of skill sets
to provide flexibility.
Digital processes and rapid
manufacturing are viable practices today that can produce
high-quality, complex parts
quickly and cost-effectively.
This ultimately translates to
more flexible and responsive
supply chains, reduced waste
and energy consumption for
enhanced sustainability, and
crucially, higher margins.

Maintaining cybersecurity as the IoT expands

Cybersecurity in the IoT has
become a growing concern as
technology becomes more interconnected. In the case of industry, vulnerabilities are often
due to the adaptation of legacy
manufacturing equipment, but
even new systems are at risk.
Fortunately, there are a number of new developments that
are tackling this concern. As
an example, to support ABB's
own industrial IoT platform,
we are working with Microsoft
Azure as a digital cloud partner.
To ensure data and equipment
security for drives, the platform
is protected by Azure security centre policy-based access
control linked to a customer's
installed base of variable speed
drives by a gateway. This gateway acts as the connector between the drives and the ABB
platform and handles protocol

conversion, data aggregation,
and multiple security layers.
The gateway, installed within
a customer's network behind a
firewall, establishes outbound
connections to predefined servers only, and there is no direct
access from the cloud to the
drive control. This adapter uses
either serial bus, optical fibre, or
local Ethernet networks.
We have also established an
Independent Device Security
Assurance Center (DSAC). This
is where all ABB products undergo state-of-the-art security
testing before they are released
to the market.

Digitalisation and the
circular economy

Manufacturers, most notably
those in the plastics and rubber
industry, must make a concerted effort to move away from
the traditional linear 'makeuse-dispose' model of creation
and consumption towards a
more 'circular economy,' where
one industry's waste becomes
another's raw material.
Planned collaboration with
suppliers and customers can
keep used products, components, and materials in circulation, while new business models that rethink ownership can
shift value along such a supply
circle. Some companies are
even pioneering new business
models that enable them to retain ownership of the materials
used in the products they sell.

While the transition to a circular economy may well create
new business opportunities
for manufacturers while closing the loop on their products,
the business case extends well
beyond the fabrication of new,
high-value products. It also allows manufacturers to optimise
their manufacturing processes,
reduce resource consumption,
and gain better control over the
entire product lifecycle.
Apart from a creative, strategic vision, realizing these
benefits requires a robust digital technology foundation that
allows a manufacturer to scale
up new products and processes quickly and efficiently. Digital
tools, such as smart sensors and
digital powertrains, can be the
catalyst for optimizing manufacturing and business processes
to prepare for the circular economy. Furthermore, with machine
learning tools, manufacturers
can optimise the efficiency and
quality of their manufacturing
processes while minimising
waste and energy consumption.
The plastics and rubber industries can only realise the
full benefits of digitalisation if
there is a complete transformation across its value chains
and production systems. By
following a systematic approach that focuses attention
on resources throughout the
value chain, manufacturers
can exploit a broader landscape of opportunity than they
initially thought possible.
May/June 2020

Sustainable Plastics - May/June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sustainable Plastics - May/June 2020