The OPC Foundation and the Clean Energy, Smart Manufacturing, Innovation Institute announced Oct. 29 that they've launched the OPC UA Cloud Library joint working group (JWG) to specify how OPC UA information models of machines, SCADA and manufacturing execution systems (MES) will be stored in and accessed from a cloud-based database. The JWG's members include 4CE, ABB, Ascolab, Atlas Copco, Beeond, BitCtrl, Bosch, CapGemini, Endress+Hauser, Equinor, Hilscher, Honeywell, IBM, IData, Matrikon, Microsoft, Prediktor, SAP, Softing, University of Applied Science Emden/Leer, VDW and Wago. The group plans to let users draw from a range of OPC UA information models and profiles to accelerate pre-built shopfloor and digitalization applications.
The OPC Foundation and the Smart Manufacturing Institute report their collaboration is a natural fit given their complementary efforts. The U.S. government-backed institute accelerates adoption of smart manufacturing and businesses by enabling frictionless movement of data and contextual information between real-time operations, users and systems that create value for their organizations. By working together, the institute and the OPC Foundation plan to enable the broadest range of manufacturers in the U.S. and beyond to innovate, and go to market in their digital transformation using the right data modeling foundation.
