MMS NEO- The new architecture in the age of edge computing

International symposium MMS Academy by Kon-Cept in Haag

The amount of data, the complexity of processes, the speed of change, the diversity of platforms, the networking of subsystems and with that the challenges for shop-floor IT are constantly increasing. Cloud computing is also starting to make its way into actual production. The Internet of Things is dominated by cloud solutions, but it also always requires distributed computing power on site to gather data and pass it on to the cloud. Cell phones act in this role in many everyday applications.
In the industry, edge computing addresses this very requirement, providing centralized management and operation of a large set of edge devices that are distributed and deployed directly on the shop floor. Edge computing is key when it comes to managing increasing complexity and establishing end-to-end IT/OT networking.
We see MMS as a core application for edge computing. Accordingly, we started the MMS NEO project three years ago and are right in the middle of the biggest transformation of our shop floor IT solution.

Edge Computing

Cloud-based solutions are making their way into production. The use of edge devices makes it possible to combine the advantages of the cloud with those of local processing and intelligence. We found the Edge Devices by Siemens AG to be most promising. This presentation explained how MMS NEO and edge computing are revolutionizing architectures for shop-floor IT.

Software security

In 2010, Stuxnet was a wake-up call. In 2019, cyberattacks in Germany caused damage of more than 100 billion euros, according to Bitkom. It is only a matter of time before hackers successfully attack the first vehicle production. We are actively countering this. This presentation showed an insight into threat modeling, the standard IEC62443 and how our software can be used securely.

Battery assembly and disassembly

This presentation described an application of MMS in battery assembly from the deparment‘s point of view. For this task, we have jointly extended the functions in MMS for worker guidance in rework.

Python

The current TIOBE Index shows it clearly: The triumph of Python continues. Anyone engaging in statistics or machine learning can no longer avoid Python-based solutions such as KERAS. We have added features to the BLH that allow our customers to implement Python-based reporting flows. This presentation highlights interesting new possibilities that arise from this.

MMS live-demo beds

- Software Security, Threat Modelling and the standard IEC62443
- Python message flows in the BLH using the example of presence detection
- Worker guidance in rework in battery production
- Wayfinding at the car yard
- Pick by Light on a Raspberry PI with BLH message flow
- The new OpenUI5 rework mask for the desktop
- BLH in the Docker Container on Linux
- Open Telemetry
- OPC-UA / STOMP / MQTT – Standard interfaces in the shop floor