Industrial 4.0: A Look at the Key Points of Networked Laser Equipment Control Systems

In the era of Industry 4.0, laser equipment network control systems are a key link in realizing intelligent manufacturing.The book covers the key steps in building a control system such as selecting hardware, communication protocols, and data integration, and provides a practical guide to help companies achieve efficient upgrades of their equipment.

Why do laser systems need to be networked?

Lasers are a core tool for precision machining, and in the age of Industry 4.0, single-machine operations are no longer enough to meet the demands of flexible production and remote management.Through network control, we can not only monitor equipment status and optimize production in real time, but also achieve early warnings for equipment failure and data analysis.For example, the laser cutting time at one car parts factory was reduced by 30 % through use of a networked system. This is a concrete benefit.

The preparation work before the construction.

The first step is to get to know the situation of the equipment.

Don't rush to connect. First you should get a clear idea of the model numbers, interfaces, and communications protocols of the laser equipment in the workshop.Older devices may only support RS-232, while newer ones are more likely to have Ethernet ports. The networking solutions for the two are very different.

Prioritize the needs.

Are you thinking about simple condition monitoring, or do you want to realize remote start and stop? Do you need to connect with your MES system? If you make a list of your requirements and rank them according to urgency, this can help you avoid a lot of hassle later on.

Hardware selection and network architecture.

The choice of communication modules.

Industrial gateways are the core components of an industrial Internet, and when choosing a model, it is important to consider three points: protocol compatibility (e.g. support for Modbus and OPC UA), interference resistance (the electromagnetic environment in the workshop is complex), and the number of expansion ports.If the budget allows, choose modularized equipment, which is easier to upgrade later.

Network topology design.

For small workshops, a star structure is enough, but larger factories may require a ring network structure.Don't forget to leave some extra nodes for expansion, as you never know how many additional devices you might need next year. When you actually deploy your network, it is suggested that you physically isolate the control network from the production management network, with security being the number one priority.

Software system deployment.

How to get around the pitfalls of protocol conversion.

When encountering situations where the old equipment is incompatible, don't stubbornly change the PLC program.Adding a protocol conversion gateway or using an edge computing box to transfer data can be cheaper and save time.One electrical equipment company solved the problem of connecting the laser welding machines it imported in the 1990s.

How do you do data visualization?

We use open source tools, such as Grafana, to create a monitoring dashboard that displays key indicators, such as laser power, processing times, and alarm records.The eight golden words of interface design are: "One screen, one topic; color coding.Red means trouble, green means normal. The old hands can tell at a glance where the problem is.

It's a safety issue that can't be avoided.

Each laser is given its own account, and operators can only see the machines that are under their responsibility.Firewall rules should be reviewed once a week, especially when using third-party remote maintenance services.Last year a mold factory was hacked and its production line was taken over. You can't take such things lightly!

Small tips for continuous improvement.

After the system was online, the data was restored once a week for the first three months.The focus is on network delay and packet loss rates, and when there is a large fluctuation, it might be that the WiFi signal has been interfered with by large machines.If necessary, a 5G industrial router can be swapped in, which in testing was able to reduce the communication failure rate by 80 %.