leanbi
15/03/2023

Blog: Predictive Quality and Edge Computing

Predictive Quality and Edge Computing

 

Everyone is talking about the cloud, but especially when things need to move fast, it is good to rely on edge computing for predictive quality applications. In this blog, we will show you the advantages of edge computing over the cloud.

 

 

Predictive quality applications give industrial companies the opportunity to optimize both the quality of products and the process flows.  At the same time, quality problems that arise at short term can also be identified. For example, an imminent blockage of a  valve or a suddenly occurring unusual behavior of an electric motor of a machine can be detected. Immediate intervention, for example by changing the process parameters or machine settings, can therefore often prevent major damage, provided that the used machine learning method can predict these problems as quickly as possible.

 

We show you why, for time-critical use cases, outsourcing the analytical computations of algorithms to a cloud platform can be problematic:

 

  • Data transmission to the cloud platform: The sensor measurement data and process parameters recorded by the machines and systems must be transmitted to the cloud platform for the calculations. This results in time delays. In extreme cases, this delay can be too big and results in the inability to react and intervene in time.
  • Data exchange with the cloud platform: In contrast to edge computing, the exchange with a cloud requires a stable Internet connection. Companies may find it difficult to ensure this, as production and manufacturing halls are often located in remote locations. As a result, companies are constantly exposed to the risk of a connection failure, which in turn inhibits timely intervention.

With analytics calculation directly on the machines and systems, companies can avoid these problems. The hardware for an edge solution is increasingly available as there are more and more sensors with their own processing devices and industrial computers today are more often equipped with high-performance processing units.

 

The choice between an edge or cloud solution must be made individually, there is no general recommendation. Companies should consider important factors such as response time, network availability and costs when deciding. We are happy to support you in this.

 

Find out how edge solutions can be used despite their lower computing power and what major disadvantages still exist compared to the cloud, in our second blog „Predictive Quality: Edge- or Cloud-Solution“.

Marc Tesch
Latest posts by Marc Tesch (see all)