From OT to IT using its new Asset Data Provider (ADP), Balluff’s goal is to enable the easy capture, preprocessing and provision of data to IIoT applications. Customers can accelerate digitalization projects with an intelligent software solution.

The importance of digitalization and automation is increasing in the industrial world – and with it the intelligent networking between machines, systems, sensors, systems and the cloud. This is where the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) comes into play. With its new Asset Data Provider (ADP), the sensor and automation specialist Balluff is now driving forward its customers’ IIoT projects: The integrative software-as-a-service solution enables the collection, pre-processing and provision of data at the level of operational technology (OT). Thanks to edge computing, the data is prepared decentrally and reaches the relevant IT systems efficiently, securely and in a resource-saving manner.

Break down data silos

“With the Asset Data Provider, our customers can extract, translate, bundle and make compatible different data in the corresponding IT, even in a heterogeneous machine landscape. This breaks down silos and accelerates digitalization projects in the company – without any complex customer-specific development and manual preparation,” says Artur Nonnenmacher, Software Product Manager at Balluff. Drag-and-drop functions, low-code development and a large selection of predefined modules offer uncomplicated and agile development and use, even for users without programming knowledge. Shortened project duration and lower total cost of ownership included.

Because the data is not stored and processed in the cloud, but in the distributed ADP edge nodes, maximum data security is guaranteed. Users also save time and costs: “The so-called one-click deployment enables proof-of-concepts to be rolled out, updated and adapted worldwide,” says Nonnenmacher, “the ADP Cloud significantly simplifies these work steps, which are often still carried out manually – and thus that Entire software lifecycle management.” Furthermore, the asset data provider enables manufacturer-independent and central commissioning, configuration and parameterization of IO-Link masters and devices.

In focus: PFB and automotive

As a smart software solution, the Asset Data Provider is used for predictive maintenance. The integration of an Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP) for planning, controlling and supporting business processes also improves the traceability of products in the packaging process.

“Customers from the packaging, food and beverage (PFB) and automotive industries in particular benefit from ADP,” explains Nonnenmacher, “regardless of whether they are still at the beginning of their digitalization journey or are already scaling globally.”

Next step

For Balluff, the step represents the next evolution within the industrial revolution. “Our company has been offering reliable data sources such as sensors or IO-Link for many decades. With the Asset Data Provider, we can now select these large amounts of data across manufacturers at edge computing level, put them in the right context and make them available to the IT level,” says Nonnenmacher, “we enable our customers to close the gap between OT and IT.

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