Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has been driving the implementation of its GENESIS64 software for e-F@ctory factory automation (FA) integration solution using internet of things (IoT) technology. GENESIS64 software unifies management of FA and information technology (IT) data and remotely monitors and controls the factory. The innovative software has been receiving good reviews.  

Tomoaki Kotani, Group Vice President, Industrial Products Marketing Division of the Factory Automation Systems Group, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, says, “Companies in Japan and abroad have high interest in the automation of production and labor saving. e-F@ctory has gained increased recognition and has been penetrating the market.”

“We have released GENESIS64, a Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) solution for monitoring and control, to make e-F@ctory easy to use. It has gained high acclaim in the market.  We also plan the introduction of three-dimensional (3D) simulator, which applies digital twin technology,” says Kotani.

e-F@ctory Solution

e-F@ctory is an FA integrated solution that uses IoT technology. It connects various FA components to the iQ Platform FA integrated platform. This builds the foundation via a communications network and optimizes the factory using advanced technology and information. This feature reduces total costs of development, production, and maintenance.

Mitsubishi Electric has been promoting e-F@ctory since 2003 and has delivered the solution to 35,000 customers around the world. At present, about 1,100 partner companies with advanced technologies and abundant know-how link with e-F@ctory.

GENESIS64 Software

GENESIS64 software visualizes all data in factories, including conditions of production equipment and manufacturing, and quality. Thus, it enables monitoring and control of the entire factory. It unitarily manages and analyzes these data, and improves production capacity, quality and operation rate. These contribute to resolving customers’ issues, including production improvement and reduction of total cost of ownership (TCO).

If it is connected to a network, it can monitor the headquarters and overseas plants anywhere around the world. It is compliant with FA industry’s standard open protocols, such as open platform communications (OPC), a standard in the industrial automation field; and MODBUS, a network developed by U.S.-based Modicon for use with programmable logic controllers (PLCs). Thus, it easily connects to various types of equipment.

“Needs to visualize factories from remote locations have been increasing. Installing GENESIS64 enables, for example, to monitor equipment operating in plants overseas, such as China, and check production status. The company earlier released GENESIS64 Advanced, and then additionally released GENESIS64 Basic,” explains Kotani. 

Pool of Digital Twin Software

Three-dimensional (3D) simulator using digital twin technology connects with Mitsubishi Electric’s MELSEC-Q/iQ-R sequencer. The software achieves verification of control software without using actual machines. It uses 3D design models of equipment/devices (virtual mechanical models). 

Kotani says, “Simulation on the desk significantly reduces the starting-up time when actual operation of equipment. We will exhibit the 3D simulator at IIFES, Innovative Industry Fair for E x E Solutions, to be held in January as a reference product. We hope to bring it to the market on full scale by the end of FY2022.” 

Furthermore, the company has been bolstering Edgecross-compatible software that helps improve all processes in manufacturing, data analysis and diagnosis software. It has also improved EcoAdviser for energy-saving analysis and diagnosis as software that facilitates the use of e-F@ctory.