A Practical Way to Get Started in Manufacturing IIoT:
Cultivate a “Green Patch” in Your Brownfield
An Industrial Internet Consortium White Paper

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Authors:

John Kowal, B&R Automation
Spencer Cramer, ei3 Corporation

A Practical Way to Get Started in Manufacturing IIoT -- Cultivate a “Green Patch” in Your Brownfield

INTRODUCTION – GREENFIELD VS. BROWNFIELD
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) takes advantage of the latest software and hardware
capabilities to increase productivity. It stands to reason that greenfield manufacturing plants
might be planned with native IIoT technologies. After all, today’s factory automation systems canincorporate web servers and clients, standards-based communications, and substantial
processing power and memory.
But the majority of manufacturers face a mandate to increase the operational efficiency of their
existing brownfield assets. In a greenfield, there is no need to integrate with legacy systems. In abrownfield, integration can be a major challenge with assets that may be decades old. The
machine control systems typically are not networked and do not communicate with each other.
Once IIoT sensors, networks and edge devices are overlaid the existing assets and analytics
applied – the legacy control systems may not have the capabilities to optimize operations.
Conversely, retrofitting the existing controls
has not been widely practiced. Rewritingmachine control code is an investment thatcarries a significant potential risk, and themachinery’s electrical and mechanicalcomponents may also not be capable ofexecuting on the new control capability.
So how can manufacturers go frombrownfields to greener pastures? Byrevisiting a 1970’s retro-concept – thefocused factory, or factory within a factory. You essentially make a smaller – yet still greenfield –IIoT investment inside your existing facility. You can call it a pilot, but actually, it is a full-scale
manufacturing system, line or cell(s) fully intended to continue in profitable productionindefinitely. Call it a ‘green patch’ in the brownfield. With a well-defined scope, it becomes amanageable, measurable proof-of-concept project that pays for itself before scaling up.

CRITERIA FOR A GREEN PATCH PROJECT
A greenfield means fresh equipment, tooling and state-of-the-art Operational Technologies (OT)and Information Technologies (IT) with the bandwidth, processing power and memory needed
to apply advanced software and processes. This definition also applies to a green patch, only ona more limited scale. These capabilities support predictive maintenance, supply chain visibility,
energy management, rapid changeovers, product lifecycle management and more.

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A Practical Way to Get Started in Manufacturing IIoT -- Cultivate a “Green Patch” in Your BrownfieldConsider the following criteria for a green patch project:
A new product line or process that requires capital expenditure (capex) investment,providing a built-in cost justification.

High value, complex products where IIoT can make a significant dollar impact on yieldAn application that will benefit from flexibility – high variability/low volume, batch-ofone manufacturing, short lead times, anticipated product modifications and options.

An operation where maximum uptime is essential, that will benefit from predictive
maintenance.

Manageable scope – a production line or cell that can effectively be self-contained andoperate independently from the rest of the factory, with components or materials‘sourced’ as if the factory is an external supplier.

An operation that can be isolated – with MES/ERP that may be self-contained and may
be hosted on premise, both to eliminate IT security issues and develop a flattened IIoT
network hierarchy, providing direct connection between machine-to-cloud, edge andmachine-to-machine that might otherwise be too ambitious.

The ‘green patch’ concept takes advantage of required capex for a new product line or process within
a brownfield plant to implement IIoT functionality with state of the art manufacturing automation.

CONSTRAINTS OF A GREEN PATCH PROJECT
Constraints are the same as for any other upgrade in a brownfield environment. The green patch
must conform to the physical footprint, shared resources and other constraints of the existing
facility. These can include utilities, physical obstructions such as columns and roof height, airfiltration and even the available labor pool and zoning restrictions. Each issue and solution willneed to be evaluated on the basis of potential payback, and can help define project scope.
For example, does a clean room need to be built to mitigate airborne contamination fromadjacent processes, or is it better to construct a new building if the land is available? Or cancritical equipment be purchased in an isolator configuration, and if so, what impact will this haveon the efficiency of ongoing operations, maintenance and replenishment?

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A Practical Way to Get Started in Manufacturing IIoT -- Cultivate a “Green Patch” in Your Brownfield

ORIGIN OF THE ‘FOCUSED FACTORY’
The concept of the “focused factory” wasintroduced by Dr. Wickham Skinner in the mid1970s while serving as faculty at Harvard
Business School and it shares some traits with
our green patch1. The decade had brought
forth a “productivity crisis.” Dr. Skinnercontended that competitive agility was yet
another factor to consider. In the conventional
manufacturing model of the time, factories
produced myriad products for many different
customers, propelled by the notion of the “economy of scale.” Dr. Skinner proposed that factories
that strategically concentrated their efforts on specific product lines and particular markets
would have increased productivity and profitability. His counsel included establishing a succinct
statement of corporate objectives and strategy that would be directly implemented inmanufacturing processes. By analyzing each component of the production system, organizations
could ensure that all elements and processes were compatible. As in green patches, profitableproduction would be driven by a manageable scope of targeted innovation.

‘FACTORY WITHIN A FACTORY’
The factory within a factory model is a way to address issues of supply chain management in atimely, cost-effective manner while preserving responsiveness to customer needs and requests2.
Instead of relying upon an independent manufacturer to provide a part or materials whenordered, the subordinate operation establishes a physical location within the primary
manufacturing facility. There are multiple considerations that impact the feasibility of such anarrangement. As a positive, it streamlines process for procurement when time and distance is ofthe essence. Other complexities involving financial investment, term length, logistics, labor,
protection of intellectual property and tax implications also present themselves for investigation.
To truly leverage the potential benefits, all aspects must be implemented effectively.
Compared with traditional manufacturing environments, a green patch environment will
introduce integrated devices, applications and tools which generate volumes of actionable data.
Therefore, a green patch can unlock opportunities to explore and develop a specific strategy for

1 Harvard Business Review, May 1974; https://hbr.org/1974/05/the-focused-factory
2 Factory within Factory: You Can Explore, Deloitte 2012,

http://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/in/Documents/manufacturing/factory-within-factory.pdf

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integrated machine leaning, predictive insights, and applying analytics to show the impact of IoT
optimization to drive revenue, cut costs and innovate your operations.

GETTING STARTED WITH ANALYTICS
Analytics are a fundamental element of IIoT. Determining the data to acquire for analysis is agood starting point for a green patch project. A 2015 technical report from McKinsey on analytics
in semiconductor manufacturing offers broad advice, with the key piece of advice to make data
actionable.3
In order for data to be actionable, it must be robust with all relevant details collected in astructured, targeted and consistent format. Another vital aspect is the maintenance of data
integrity. Ramifications of substituting lost data with averaged content include missing patterns
and generating false positives. Data must be stored effectively with an eye towards easy retrieval.
Actionable data is the foundation of advanced analytics. When supported at the enterprise levelas a strategic priority and not merely a managerial tactical responsibility, advanced analytics
drives predictive insights into where to invest, ways to optimize productivity, keys to reduce time
to market and other essential metrics.
In a 2014 Forbes article on data analytics in manufacturing, the author cites specific ways big datais transforming industrial processes.4 Highlights of the article include discussion of the refinementof forecasting across multiple channels, the unification of daily production activity to financial
metrics and the provision of preventive maintenance recommendations via sensors.

SUCCESS MEASUREMENT: OVERALL EQUIPMENT EFFECTIVENESS (OEE)
Like any capital project, the green patch needs success metrics. One of the best in manufacturingis the lean Six Sigma key performance indicator of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). For
many years, manufacturing enterprises have implemented different varieties of OEE
measurements to different degrees of success. For example, some OEE proponents consider all
downtime, including scheduled maintenance and holidays, while others exclude all but
unplanned downtime. The green patch can be used to redefine a consistent OEE metric moving
forward, for how and what to measure, analyze and optimize in the green patch, and therefore

3Internet of Things: Opportunities and challenges for semiconductor companies, McKinsey & Company, October 2015,
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/semiconductors/our-insights/internet-of-things-opportunities-and-challenges-forsemiconductor-companies
4 Ten Ways Big Data is Revolutionizing Manufacturing, Louis Columbus, Forbes, November 28, 2014,
http://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2014/11/28/ten-ways-big-data-is-revolutionizing-manufacturing

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A Practical Way to Get Started in Manufacturing IIoT -- Cultivate a “Green Patch” in Your Brownfield

serve as a framework for OEE future process improvements without impacting existing
operations.
OEE can do things like optimizing instead of maximizing line speed to avoid bottlenecking at
the slowest machine in the line.

The contrast between IIoT will be most dramatic where data are still manually gathered,demonstrating the value of automated data acquisition, more frequent sampling and moreconsistent data through the use of new standards such as ISA TR88.00.02 (PackML) andMTConnect, both OPC UA enabled.

Figure 1: OEE Overview - diagram courtesy of ei3 Corporation.
Availability x Performance x Quality = OEE

IndustryWeek’s article5 “OEE - Learn How to Use it Right” offers salient points pertaining to ourgreen patch production line, including the fact that OEE is well suited to measuring the relative
productivity of a single production line or system. So it is focused, which we want.
OEE data has many practical uses. One is to determine the optimum (as opposed to fastest)
production rate for a line. Running a line at its fastest can cause the bottleneck machine (there isusually one machine that limits overall line speed) to result in stoppages and actually reduce
throughput compared to operating at a lower speed.

5 OEE: Learn How To Use It Right, Ellis New, IndustryWeek, August 19, 2014, http://www.industryweek.com/quality/oee-learn-

how-use-it-right?

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A Practical Way to Get Started in Manufacturing IIoT -- Cultivate a “Green Patch” in Your Brownfield

Figure 2: Sample OEE Dashboard – diagram courtesy of ei3 Corporation.

PROCESS OPTIMIZATION
Much has been discussed about big data and analytics. To make use of analytics, it’s necessary
to close the loop and provide a mechanism to apply the data to process optimization. Total
Productive Maintenance (TPM) is one such tool that can take OEE data and improve theoperation of machines and lines. TPM is a methodology for acting on and resolving issues
identified by OEE. Similar to OEE, TPM is a topic familiar to manufacturing professionals and uponwhich IIoT can improve. TPM is used here as an example of ‘what to do with analytics once you
have the data and you’ve analyzed it.’ Without IIoT’s continuous, automated monitoring andfeedback, TPM might be used to set limits on line speed, based on the bottleneck.
In the IIoT-enabled green patch, process optimization can take into consideration many morefactors because more conditions can be monitored more effectively. In manufacturing andconsumer packaging operations these can include:Variations in material lots, material deformation, recycled content.

Impact of environmental factors such as ambient temperature, humidity, contaminantsProcess factors such as heat buildup, ramp-up/down to/from optimum line speed,mechanical wear, inconsistencies in electrical and compressed air supply.

Anomalies that can be traced back to human factors, such as operation, lubrication,cleaning and improper use of e-stops.

Logistical issues such as parts replenishment, coding system ink level, tooling andchange part availability.

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A Practical Way to Get Started in Manufacturing IIoT -- Cultivate a “Green Patch” in Your Brownfield

CONCLUSION

Cultivate a Green Patch in your Brownfield

The more time you spend in a brownfield, thebetter a green patch looks. By focusing on asingle new line or cell, it can be much easier toget started with an initial deployment, learning
how to apply IIoT in a controlled environmentand scale, with new technologies designed forthe task. The ‘green patch’ is intended topropose a readily accessible approach for midmarket manufacturing enterprises to obtain
the advantages of IIoT without becoming
overwhelmed by a large-scale rollout.

CONTRIBUTOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
SPENCER CRAMER, CEO, ei3 CORPORATION
Spencer Cramer founded ei3 in 1999 to follow his vision that advanced Internet applications could
help machine owners increase production, improve service, enhance product quality and saveenergy. As Chief Executive Officer he is responsible for strategy and growth. In addition to ei3,Spencer serves on the boards of PaceWorx, an energy assessment company and OMAC, theOrganization for Machine Automation and Control.

JOHN KOWAL, DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AT B&R INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATIONJohn Kowal is responsible for B&R's business development and marketing of industrial
automation technologies in North America and has a leadership role in B&R's Global Packaging
Solutions Group. Additionally, John is co-chair of the Industrial Internet Consortium's Smart
Factory Task Group, current member of OMAC and former member of PMMI Boards of Directors,
PMMI strategy, global marketing and membership committees, Purdue Calumet dean's executive
council, AMT, ISA, BMA, Hannover Messe USA advisory board, prolific speaker and editorial
contributor.

AUTHORS’ NOTE:This white paper has dutifully avoided commercial references from suppliers of IIoT, OEE, TPMand automation products and services. In researching the topic, the authors uncovered noshortage of promotional documents from suppliers available to help manufacturing enterprises
implement these strategies.

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A Practical Way to Get Started in Manufacturing IIoT -- Cultivate a “Green Patch” in Your Brownfield

ABOUT THE INDUSTRIAL INTERNET CONSORTIUM
The Industrial Internet Consortium® (IIC™) is a global, member supported, organization that
promotes the accelerated growth of the Industrial Internet of Things by coordinating ecosystem
initiatives to securely connect, control and integrate assets and systems of assets with people,
processes and data using common architectures, interoperability and open standards to delivertransformational business and societal outcomes across industries and public infrastructure.
The goals of the IIC and its members are to:Drive innovation through the creation of new industry use cases and testbeds for realworld applications.
Define and develop the reference architecture and frameworks necessary forinteroperability.
Influence the global development standards process for internet and industrial systems.
Facilitate open forums to share and exchange real-world ideas, practices, lessons, andinsights.
Build confidence around new and innovative approaches to security.

AUTHORS AND LEGAL NOTICE
A publication of the Smart Factory Task Group, authored by Spencer Cramer (ei3 Corporation),and John Kowal (B&R Industrial Automation).
Copyright © 2017 Industrial Internet Consortium. All rights reserved. The Industrial Internet
Consortium is a registered trademark of the Object Management Group® (OMG®). For a listingof all OMG trademarks, visit www.omg.org/legal/tm_list. All other trademarks are the propertyof their respective owners.
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