Second Indo-German Exchange on Global Production Language

India

The intelligent networking of machines and processes are important aspects of Industrie 4.0. Uniform standards for the exchange of data provide a decisive basis for this. More than 100 German and Indian experts exchanged views at an event on Global Production Language (GPL). The focus was on the development and application of a GPL in the Indian context and its importance for a successful Industrie 4.0.

Indo-German cooperation on Global Production Language. © Gorodenkoff - Shutterstock

Indo-German cooperation on Global Production Language

On 21 July 2022, the Global Project Quality Infrastructure (GPQI) jointly organised a second expert exchange on Global Production Language (GPL) with the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau – VDMA) and the Indo-German Digital Dialogue. More than 100 German and Indian experts discussed current developments and industrial application examples of GPL in the Indian context.

 

Within the framework of GPQI in India, there is a close and ongoing exchange on the framework conditions for Industrie 4.0. Christoph Mönnigmann (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action - BMWK) and Ernst Stöckl-Puckall (BMWK) underlined the importance of international cooperation for uniform standards and concepts for the successful introduction of Industrie 4.0. Ajay Kumar Garg (Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology - MeitY) highlighted the Indo-German partnership for the development of Industrie 4.0. The exchange with strategic partners like Germany is essential to unlock the full potential of Industrie 4.0, he said.

 

M.R. Subramanya (OPC Hub India) emphasises the importance of OPC UA for Industrie 4.0. © GIZ - GPQI

Standards facilitate a production language across industries

Open Platform Communication Unified Architecture (OPC UA) can enable secure and reliable data exchange between machines in the field of industrial automation. Andreas Faath (VDMA) presented current developments of GPL and Industrie 4.0. Faath explained: VDMA promotes cross-industry and international exchange on OPC UA. OPC UA should be adjusted to the specific needs of different sectors worldwide.

 

OPC UA is gaining importance in India  

The OPC Hub India cooperates with regional industry experts. They support the development of OPC UA products and their introduction in the Indian market. M.R. Subramanya from the OPC Hub India presented the activities of the Hub. It raises awareness of the potential applications and benefits of OPC UA in the Indian industry, Subramanya said.

 

OPC UA is already being used in many machines across industries in India. Anirban Hazra (LENZE India) presented industrial application examples of OPC UA. Hazra explained that the open interface standard OPC UA is integrated into almost all LENZE control devices. In particular, small companies with limited resources require support in applying the standard. OPC UA application solutions that can be implemented in small, simple steps increase the adoption of OPC UA by original equipment manufacturers.

 

Participants discuss ways to increase the use of OPC UA

In a subsequent round of discussions, the experts emphasised the importance of raising awareness of OPC UA in the field of industrial automation. The experts agreed that a better understanding of different use cases, linked to training mechanisms, could promote the application of OPC UA.  

 

Next steps for Indo-German cooperation

Within the framework of the Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure, German and Indian stakeholders have been working closely together on framework conditions for Industrie 4.0 for many years. This also includes the development of a GPL and its application in the industry. Further events on GPL are planned in the coming months as part of the Indo-German Dialogue on Quality Infrastructure.

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