IIoT-based Motion Control Efficiency in Automated Warehouses

The Industrial Internet of Thing (IIoT) approach to an Industry plant design, devises a comprehensive interconnection of the system components, from sections up to single devices, in order to get a general and punctual understanding of the process. Such an intelligent network, mostly based on Ethernet layers, when properly conceived, should be able to add relevant value to the plant operation. In industrial economy, the more significant implementation of IIoT comes with the Industry 4.0 (I4) principles. This paper shows how, within the I4 and IIoT frame, the plant efficiency can be addressed and bring relevant improvement. The reason is that measured or calculated variables, directly related to the energy consumption, such as current, electric power, actuator and motor torque, speed, etc., can be timely and easily monitored in the entire plant, since they are already conveyed on the communication network, due to real time control and diagnostics purpose. The paper, after a general discussion, proves it with practical examples based on Intralogistics applications: a Gantry robot and the stacker cranes of an automated warehouse, both driven in an EtherCAT based automation network.