+++ Cloud-based software suite for worldwide edge device management
+++ Central app catalogue rolled out in the BMW Group production
network +++ Zero-touch installation for fully automated setup +++
Munich. The BMW Group’s Edge Ecosystem has won the
Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award 2021 in the Envision
category. The cloud-based software suite allows production-related
applications (apps) on edge devices to be distribut-ed, configured and
administered worldwide. This means software innovations can now be
rolled out efficiently by users themselves without deviating from
standard-ised business processes.
The Edge Ecosystem significantly reduces the effort involved in the
manual man-agement of many thousands of devices around the world. It
also helps prevent faulty configurations from causing production
shutdowns and saves on maintenance costs. These advantages make the
innovative Edge Ecosystem a key driver in the digitalisation of the
entire BMW Group production system.
Because it is open and uses standard IT technologies, the Edge
Ecosystem also allows external partners and suppliers to integrate
their hard- and software compo-nents around the world into the BMW
Group’s production system – efficiently and without special
adjustments. Fast hardware integration is enabled by a zero-touch
installer that integrates new edge devices into the ecosystem fully
automatically and without user input.
Increasing efficiency and cutting downtimes in production.
App configuration is managed centrally by the cloud platform and
allows hot-swapping – which is particularly important for production.
So if an edge device fails, it takes just a matter of minutes to load
the complete application and configuration onto a new device. This
reduces downtimes in production to a minimum and elimi-nates the need
for separate, complex backup management.
Worldwide distribution of AI models.
The BMW Group’s Edge Ecosystem is already in use in several
applications world-wide. In production, it connects the cameras and
edge devices of specialised deep learning models used for inline
quality assurance. It also allows image data, which undergoes
application-specific processing locally, to be managed and offers the
necessary flexibility for the agile exchange of AI models.
The Edge Ecosystem is being used in the press shop as well. Here,
sheet metal must be oiled before being formed, but the amount of
lubrication required depends on a range of factors, such as storage
time. To ensure the optimum amount of lu-brication, a deep-learning
model was developed that transmits the lubrication pa-rameters for
each sheet to the machine and controls the system in real time. The
model has been distributed and is constantly updated in the BMW Group
Edge Ecosystem as an application for BMW Group presses around the
world so that only as much oil is used as necessary.
Retrofitting to existing systems.
The Edge Ecosystem can also be used to update existing systems so
that they too can work with modern applications in the cloud. This is
done by installing a special gateway software on an edge device in the
system which then converts its data into cloud-compatible formats. For
example, the technology is being used to integrate loading machines
and fire doors into the network of autonomous transport systems in logistics.
Edge Ecosystem wins award.
The value-adding impact the BMW Group Edge Ecosystem will have on
future production has now been confirmed by an independent source. The
system has now scooped the Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award
2021 pre-sented by Microsoft and Roland Berger, in the Envision category.
