IVRA launches Japanese version of Industry 4.0 Reference Architecture

The Industrial Value Chain IniTIaTIve (IVI) is an organization initiated by manufacturing companies, equipment manufacturers, and system integration companies to promote the realization of "smart factories." On December 8, 2016, IVI introduced the basic structure of the smart factory "Industrial Value Chain Reference Architecture (IVRA)" based on the existing foundation of Japanese manufacturing.

With the deep application of the Internet of Things in the manufacturing sector, factories will generate new value through interconnection. At the same time, some unrecognized interests are also coming along. In order to solve these problems, the German Industry 4.0 platform and the American Industrial Internet Alliance (IIC) have launched a "reference architecture."

In 2015, the German Industry 4.0 platform announced the Reference Architecture Model Industrie 4.0 (RAMI 4.0), which implements the plant scenario described in Industry 4.0, and is expected to be promoted based on this as an international standard. RAMI 4.0 presents all value networks through a 3D model (Figure 1).

Figure 1 RAMI4.0 released by the Industry 4.0 platform

In 2015, the Industrial Internet Alliance also launched the IIC Reference Architecture (IIRA), which also aims to advance the standardization work based on this architecture (Figure 2).

Figure 2 IIRA released by IIC

Both German Platform Industry 4.0 and the American Industrial Internet Alliance have begun to promote their respective reference architectures to the world. IVI believes that although Japanese companies are also involved in some of the standard-setting processes, the reference architecture is not in Japan. Therefore, based on the Japanese manufacturing value chain, a reference structure with Japanese characteristics, namely "IVRA", was developed.

The IVRA is basically similar to the RAMI 4.0 of the Industry 4.0 platform and is also a 3D mode. Each block of the three-dimensional mode is called "smart manufacturing unit (SMU)", and the manufacturing site is used as one unit, and is judged by three axes.

Vertically, as a “resource axis”, it is divided into employee layer, process layer, product layer and device layer. Horizontal as the "execution axis", divided into Plan, Do, Check and AcTIon (PDCA cycle). Introversion is the “management axis”, quality (Q), cost (C), delivery date (D), environment (E) (QCDE activity) (Figure 3).

Figure 3 3D mode in IVRA

In the IVRA, the manufacturing industry chain and engineering chain are displayed through a combination of multiple intelligent manufacturing units (SMUs). A combination of multiple intelligent manufacturing units (SMUs) is referred to as a "general function block (GFB)." GFB vertically represents the scale of a company or factory, divided into enterprise, department, plant and equipment layers; horizontally represents the production process, including market demand and design, architecture and implementation, production, maintenance and R&D; five stages; Demand and supply processes, including basic planning, raw material procurement, production execution, logistics sales and after-sales services, etc. (Figure 4).

Figure 4 GFB in IVRA

The IVRA also defines the relationship between Smart Manufacturing Units (SMUs) as "lightweight loading units (PLUs)", specifically, four parts: value, material, information, and data. Improve the efficiency of smart manufacturing by controlling the accuracy of the transfer of these four parts between SMUs (Figure 5).

Figure 5 PLU's mobile value

Compared with RAMI4.0 or IIRA, a major feature of IVRA is the inclusion of “live feeling” features including specific employee joint operations, etc. through SMU and other forms. The Japanese manufacturing industry is represented by the Toyota production method, which is generally to maximize the manpower to enhance the on-site production capacity and achieve profit growth. IVI's new reference architecture for smart factories released to the world embeds the unique value orientation of “Japan Manufacturing” and is expected to become another standard for smart factories in the world.

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