Image a manufacturing facility ground. The air hangs heavy, thick with the metallic tang of equipment and the oil that retains all of it turning. Each sq. foot appears to be utilized. Rows of hulking machines dominate the area. Between them are slender pathways that staff and machines should navigate.
These are the circumstances for which E80 Group, an Italian multinational, primarily based in Viano, Italy, builds its autonomous and laser guided autos (AGVs and LGVs) that may transfer round a facility, transport supplies, and work together with different machines and techniques in warehouses, distribution facilities, and manufacturing vegetation. E80 Group has geared up greater than 450 built-in factories in varied elements of the world putting in over 2,800 robotic techniques, greater than 9,000 AGVs and LGVs, and several other high-density automated warehouses. Daily, E80 options deal with greater than 1 billion€ of merchandise worldwide.
Trendy AGVs make the most of refined applied sciences like laser scanners, imaginative and prescient cameras, and LiDAR that permits for dynamic path planning, impediment detection, and protected operation in complicated environments. Trendy AGVs are additionally networked – speaking with different AGVs, robots, and central management techniques, which permits higher coordination and fleet administration. They’re a key enabler of sensible manufacturing, and a part of Trade 4.0, making doable extra automated, data-driven, and optimized manufacturing processes, by delivering the suitable factor to the suitable place on the proper time.
However in depth connectivity can even improve the specter of cyberattacks. “The increased reliance on technology and connectivity in modern AGVs introduces new cybersecurity challenges that manufacturers and distributors need to address,” says Fabio Oleari, Supervisor of OT cybersecurity at E80 Group, “In addition to data theft, malware attacks, etc., malicious actors could potentially hack into the AGV’s control system, hijack its movement, or disrupt its operations.”
Bringing collectively industrial safety, mobility, and networking
“At E80 Group we use Catalyst IE3400 Rugged Series switches with expansion modules in our AGVs to connect the PLC, sensors, and other equipment in the vehicle,” stated Oleari, “The IE3400 switches host Cisco Cyber Vision sensors that provide us with visibility into all connected equipment and the network traffic.” This depth of visibility lets E80 Group detect any unauthorized gear or any uncommon site visitors that may point out presence of a menace.
The diagram beneath reveals the straightforward three step course of that permits E80 Group to safe their AGVs. Gadget and site visitors particulars gathered by Cyber Imaginative and prescient sensors are despatched to Cyber Imaginative and prescient Heart for visualization and formulating segmentation insurance policies which might be outlined in Cisco ISE, which communicates these insurance policies to the Catalyst IE3400 for enforcement.
Making it simple to automate, deploy, and monitor
E80 Group delivers a whole lot of AGVs to a buyer. Configuring and monitoring switches and Cyber Imaginative and prescient on these many autos manually is just not solely time consuming however can even result in inaccuracies. To automate such duties and scale back time to deploy, E80 Group teamed up with Italtel, a system integrator and Cisco Gold Associate. Based in 1921 and headquartered in Milan, Italy, Italtel has a storied previous and has lengthy been a pioneer in telecommunications, software program outlined networking, 5G, and industrial IoT, with specialization in areas of sensible manufacturing and OT cybersecurity.
“We designed a system for E80 Group that allows them to provision and configure Catalyst IE3400 switches and Cyber Vision in hundreds of AGVs at their customer locations”, stated Simone Ogadri, Cyber Safety Engineering Supervisor at Italtel. This technique permits E80 Group to offer managed providers to make sure safety of their AGVs deployed in buyer websites.
“We used the APIs available in Catalyst IE3400’s IOS XE operating system, Cyber Vision, and ISE to build this dashboard,” defined Ogadri, “By using open-source tools for IT automation such as Ansible, we are able to provision switches, configure Cyber Vision, and update software automatically.”
Utilizing these instruments, E80 Group can remotely activate their AGVs at buyer websites. “Once provisioned, we use Cyber Vision and ISE to group connected assets in each AGV, create segmentation policies, and instruct the Catalyst IE3400 to enforce these policies, with point-and-click simplicity”, defined Oleari. Utilizing Cyber Imaginative and prescient, they will now constantly monitor every AGV.
The diagram beneath reveals linked elements and related site visitors inside an AGV as visualized in Cyber Imaginative and prescient.
Driving sensible manufacturing
Because the momentum in direction of the evolution to Trade 4.0 accelerates, analyst information reveals a gentle progress in adoption of AGVs, AMRs, cell handheld tooling, and so forth. Left unaddressed, the ensuing improve within the menace floor can have a number of destructive penalties that might influence productiveness, result in monetary losses, and even threaten employee security. By taking proactive measures to safe cell units, organizations can mitigate these dangers and guarantee protected, environment friendly, and dependable operations.
With complete safety constructed into the networking gear, Cisco makes it simple for machine builders to attach, shield, and deploy their industrial options, and supply managed providers to their prospects.
Study extra about Cisco Industrial Menace Protection, our manufacturing options, or schedule a free, no obligation, session with considered one of our industrial specialists.
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