WCA January 2016

Industry news

“A successful product is the biggest reward” AN interview with Michael

What are the tasks of the software development department at Sikora AG? Michael Schaffrath: The software division works closely together with the hardware, construction, research, service, sales and production departments in order to identify technical challenges, customer requirements as well as new developments and to find suitable solutions. According to the principle “our aim is to offer an innovative and efficient measuring and control technology that serves all customer and market demands”, Sikora’s developers are working on the continuous improvement and development of the systems. Furthermore, we regularly present special solutions and adaptations of the system in order to meet the individual requirements of our customers. What are the most important requirement characteristics reg- arding industrial processor systems? MS: Today, the requirements for industrial processor systems vary due to technological capabilities. Ten years ago, applications were strongly user-orientated towards the machine operator, and relatively inflexible. For example, metallic front panels with hardware displays were used. Besides the machine operators, process technicians and quality management (QM) expect to obtain information from the system, which is used for continuous production optimisation. Our colleagues from Sikora service, QM and R&D also need information in order to provide qualified service, offer continuous process optimisation and, naturally, develop the systems further. In order to equip our customers’ production lines with sustainable and future-orientated devices, Sikora’s software division is always working on developing expandable systems. Thus, with regular updates, our devices and Schaffrath, head of software at Sikora AG, who talks about indispensable technology trends and gives an outlook on further requirements.

applications always meet the highest quality requirements, even after many years. What are the customer benefits of the Ecocontrol series from a developer’s point of view? MS: With the Ecocontrol series the customer receives compatible software solutions for his Sikora measuring, controlling and sorting systems from a single source. An Ecocontrol can be used with all measuring devices at the production line and supports the machine operator with comprehensive visualisations. It also offers the possibility of remote maintenance of the Sikora systems. Where is the trend heading regarding software development for industrial computers in general and Ecocontrol in particular? MS: In general, the trend is clearly heading towards HMIs (human machine interfaces), which are more intuitive to use. Multi-touch and gesture control open up completely new operating options. Moreover, location-independ- ent access to HMIs from mobile devices is becoming increasingly important. Today, this is being discussed as IoT (Internet of Things). Therefore, we equip our measuring devices more frequently with central access points via LAN or Wi-Fi (WLAN). With the Ecocontrol we focus on reliability. Our customers operate the devices 24 hours, seven days a week. In addition, support for the machine operator, the process technology of QM and Sikora (service, QM and R&D) as well as easy servicing and the possibility of remote maintenance are ❍ Michael Schaffrath, head of software at Sikora

essential aspects we consider when developing processor systems. How important is data security for software development? MS: Data security is a very important topic as it has a direct connection with the permanent availability of our devices. Our measuring and control devices are used for process and continuous quality control during production. Therefore, issues like ‘outside attacks’, virus protection, protection of customer data and protection of the complete system are essential in the software development. Special encryption algorithms ensure that no data is lost or passed on, and prevent viruses from entering the systems. What fascinates you most about your work in the software division? What makes your job exciting? What are the challenges? MS: I enjoy working with my committed colleagues – including the other departments: hardware, construction, research, service, sales and production – searching for new solutions and realising them. Furthermore, I am fascinated by the technological developments in the areas of operating systems, development tools, computer platforms and interfaces. In addition to the Ecocontrol systems, at Sikora we are working in the varied field of embedded systems with DSPs (digital signal processors) and MVCs (model view controllers). Sikora AG – Germany Website : www.sikora.net

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Wire & Cable ASIA – January/February 2016