Siemens AG struck a collaboration agreement with Taiwan-based Fair Friend Group to integrate Siemens technologies on the extensive portfolio of FFG machine tools. In particular, the plan calls for FFG to adopt the Siemens Digital Enterprise Suite.
The Digital Enterprise products represent the core elements of industrial software and automation, industrial communication systems, security, and services, plus cloud-based Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. Siemens will primarily contribute its expertise in machine control and automation technology, along with the cloud-based IoT operating system MindSphere.
Digitalization is emerging as a must-have functionality for machine tools, as machine shops and manufacturing operation take steps to fulfill expectations for process control and product traceability, and also to take advantage of the various performance-, energy-, cost-, and quality-control capabilities anticipated via IoT accessibility.
Fair Friend Group is an industrial conglomerate with over 90 companies in machine tool technology, PCB, industrial equipment, and green technologies. Its portfolio of machine tool brands includes Feeler, Leadwell, Sanco, and Equiptop, and numerous more incorporated through acquisitions, including VDF Boehringer, DMC, Honsberg, Ikegai, Jobs, MAG, Modul, Pfiffner, Rambaudi, Sigma, Tacchella, and Witzig & Frank.
Via the Siemens the collaboration, FFG will consolidate its control architecture within the Siemens Digital Enterprise Suite, and implement the MindSphere IoT operating system.
According to the partners statement on the collaboration, MindSphere’s open-access design helps machine manufacturers to use their own domain expertise to develop applications for machine operators, becoming the basis for new services and business models.
The collaboration also will see FFG machines incorporate Siemens Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM), and Totally Integrated Automation (TIA).
Previously, Siemens and FFG had developed concepts independently that combine digitalization and automation for machine tools. The Digital Enterprise portfolio from Siemens offers core elements of industrial software and automation, industrial communication systems, security and services as well as cloud-based IoT technologies. Siemens will primarily bring its expertise in machine control and automation technology to the concepts to be developed as well as its open, cloud-based IoT operating system MindSphere.
