Increase Efficiency with Edge Computing

Real-time data is driving modern production. With edge computing and AI, you can process information directly at the machine, make quick decisions and increase efficiency and resilience - even in mature production environments.

Cloud computing is powerful, but milliseconds count on the factory floor. If a robot arm needs to be stopped, the signal must not first take a detour via the data center. By the time the response arrives, the damage has already been done.

That's why we are moving intelligence directly to the data source: to the machine, to the conveyor belt, to the factory. Edge computing means that data is processed where it is generated, locally, in real time, without detours. This sounds like a technical detail, but it has far-reaching consequences for production:

1. Reaction speed: Reactions at sub-second speed for critical controls.
2. Less data volume, lower costs: High-frequency raw data such as vibrations or temperature fluctuations are filtered locally. Only what is really relevant is sent to the cloud.
3. Resilience: If the Internet connection fails, operation simply continues in "Island Mode" - independent, stable, uninterrupted.

But how do you implement this in a factory that has grown historically?

To ensure that a retrofitted machine not only sends data, but also becomes understandable in the overall system, two things are needed: a standardized description of the system and a standardized way for machines to communicate with each other.

For the asset description we rely on the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) - a vendor-neutral data metamodel that standardizes what a machine is, what it can do and what data it delivers. Whether ERP, MES, or cloud platform: every system knows what it has to do with.

For communication between machines and systems, the OPC Unified Namespace (OPC UA) is also widely used – the data standard defines how data is structured and securely transported and has established itself as the de facto standard on the store floor. Both standards together ensure that a retrofitted system does not remain isolated, but is seamlessly integrated into the overall system.

This also pays off beyond your own factory: Those who describe and network their machines in this way create the basis for sharing data with suppliers or partners in a targeted and confident manner in so-called dataspace to share – just like Manufacturing-X and Factory-X. Retrofit becomes the ticket to the networked supply chain of tomorrow.

A machine that responds in real time but doesn’t connect to your ERP system is smart on a small scale but blind on a large one. The Digital Backbone bridges this gap: it connects OT and IT across all layers – from machine control through the edge all the way to SAP S/4HANA. Relevant anomalies don’t just eventually end up in the system; instead, they immediately trigger the appropriate follow-up processes: a maintenance order in SAP PM, an adjustment to the production plan, or a notification to the supply chain.

How to turn a quick machine decision into an intelligent business response.

As soon as the data starts flowing, artificial intelligence delivers measurable results. A prime example is automated visual inspection. Human visual inspection is prone to errors, tedious, and not scalable. Computer vision solutions specializing in AI-powered image processing analyze video streams from the production line in real time. An AI model on the edge device detects scratches or dents in milliseconds and sorts out defective parts.

What makes this special is that the system continuously learns. New images of defects are used in the cloud to improve the model – the update is automatically pushed to the edge devices. This significantly reduces not only scrap but also “pseudo-scrap” (good parts incorrectly sorted out).

In Europe, data security is non-negotiable - especially when it comes to machine data, production secrets, or supply chain data.

Our approach: You retain full control over your data at all times.

We are actively involved in Factory-X as part of Manufacturing-X and rely on federated data rooms instead of central data lakes. This means that you decide which data you share with whom - whether auditor, supplier, or customer - and under what conditions.

For secure operation, we offer our own German data centers based on the Arvato Systems Virtual Private Cloud and / or combine them with sovereign cloud offerings leading hyperscalers. Depending on requirements, we integrate sovereign services from Microsoft Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud, always with clear data residency, controlled access, and transparent governance