IOT News

Background

As Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing strategies continue to gain momentum, semiconductor and precision machining manufacturers are facing increasingly stringent requirements for production process data visibility and quality traceability.
A manufacturing facility operates multiple automated wafer grinding production lines, each running relatively independently. Key production parameters—such as grinding thickness, pressure, temperature, spindle speed, and material removal rate—have traditionally been recorded through manual spot checks. This approach suffers from low efficiency, a high risk of data errors, and limited traceability, making it difficult to meet modern quality management and process optimization needs. To address these challenges, a robust and reliable equipment monitoring and management system is urgently required—one that enables automatic data acquisition, systematic recording, and end‑to‑end traceability throughout the production chain, thereby elevating the plant's digital management capabilities.

Requirements Analysis

Without disrupting core production processes, the grinding lines must achieve the following objectives:
1. Key data acquisition – Real‑time collection of equipment operating status and machining parameters (e.g., spindle speed, feed rate, grinding pressure, temperature, and coolant flow rate), replacing manual spot checks to ensure data accuracy and timeliness.
2. Data storage and visualization – The acquired data must be written into a local MySQL database in a specified format for retri by the MES. A local visual monitoring dashboard should also be provided to support long‑term storage, quality traceability, and report generation for in‑depth analysis.

Solution

WideIOT has deployed industrial smart gateways that connect to the HMI on each production line (with Siemens PLCs already integrated). The gateways collect critical grinding process parameters in real time and transmit the data over Ethernet to a local MySQL database. This enables automated data acquisition, anomaly alerting, remote control, and data analytics, helping the facility build a transparent and fully traceable smart grinding shop floor.

Key Features

The gateway offers multiple interface options, including serial ports, Ethernet ports, and I/O ports, and is compatible with major PLC brands such as Siemens, Mitsubishi, Omron, and Schneider. Data collection can be configured quickly without modifying existing line programs.

It supports real‑time monitoring of key process parameters—including grinding pressure, spindle speed, feed rate, temperature, coolant flow rate, and equipment operating status—while also tracking machine uptime and runtime to feed into a visual dashboard.

Customizable alert thresholds can be set for each parameter. When values exceed the predefined limits, alert notifications are pushed via SMS, WeChat, or email, enabling operations and maintenance teams to respond promptly. In addition, administrators can remotely check equipment status, significantly reducing the frequency of on‑site patrols.

Data is stored in a local MySQL database in the required format and can be retrieved at any time for internal quality traceability. Historical data also serves as a valuable reference for process optimization, equipment maintenance planning, and production capacity analysis.

The gateway provides open API interfaces, supporting data exchange with upstream MES or ERP systems via MQTT, HTTP, and other protocols, offering ample flexibility for future digital upgrades.