ISA-95 Asset Hierarchies for Industrial IoT

This post provides a practical guide to implementing the ISA-95 standard for asset hierarchies in your cloud-based industrial IoT projects. Learn how this can improve data organization, communication and analysis, ultimately driving better decision-making and operational efficiency in your manufacturing environment.

INDUSTRY REIMAGINED

Snehanshu Jena

1/22/20253 min read

As a consultant specializing in manufacturing, I’ve witnessed firsthand the challenges that arise when IT professionals grapple with asset hierarchies in industrial IoT (IIoT) deployments. Recently we had a discussion with a Pharma major for a completely different use case but the discussion got stuck around the asset hierarchies as a part of data foundations on the Cloud. Defining a clear and consistent structure for your assets is crucial for success in core manufacturing IT use cases, from production scheduling and quality control to predictive maintenance and supply chain optimization.

This blog post demystifies the ISA-95 standard for asset hierarchies, providing practical guidance on how to apply it effectively in your Cloud IIoT projects. I have taken example of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing but this is the same for any other industry.

Why ISA-95 Matters

The ISA-95 standard (officially known as ANSI/ISA-95) provides a framework for integrating enterprise and control systems. A key component of this standard is its hierarchical model for representing manufacturing assets. This hierarchy offers several benefits:

Clear Organization: It provides a standardized way to organize and structure your assets, promoting clarity and consistency across your systems.
Improved Communication: A common terminology facilitates communication between IT and OT teams, breaking down silos and fostering collaboration.
Data Contextualization: The hierarchy provides context for your IIoT data, making it easier to analyze, interpret and extract valuable insights.
Interoperability: By adhering to a standard, you enhance interoperability between different systems and applications, simplifying integration efforts.

The ISA-95 Asset Hierarchy: A Breakdown

The ISA-95 standard defines a hierarchical model with levels ranging from the enterprise down to the individual control modules within equipment. Here’s a simplified representation:

Enterprise: The highest level, representing the overall organization.
Site: A specific location or facility within the enterprise (Ex: a plant, factory or warehouse).
Area: A distinct zone within a site dedicated to a particular function (Ex: production, packaging or storage).
Production Line: A sequence of equipment used to manufacture a product.
Process Cell: A group of equipment within a production line that performs a specific process step.
Unit: A single piece of equipment within a process cell (Ex: a mixer, reactor or conveyor).
Equipment Module: A functional component of a unit (Ex: a motor, pump or sensor).
Control Module: A device that controls an equipment module (Ex: a PLC or DCS controller).

Practical Considerations for IIoT Deployments

When implementing an ISA-95 asset hierarchy in your Cloud IIoT projects, keep these practical considerations in mind:

Granularity: Determine the appropriate level of detail for your hierarchy. Consider the specific needs of your use cases and the complexity of your manufacturing environment.
Naming Conventions: Establish clear and consistent naming conventions for your assets. This will improve data management and analysis.
Data Modeling: Choose a data model that effectively represents the hierarchy and relationships between assets.
Integration with Google Cloud Services: Leverage Google Cloud Solutions like Manufacturing Data Engine — Pub/Sub for data ingestion and Dataflow for data processing to build a robust IIoT solution.
Visualization and Analytics: Use tools like Looker to visualize and analyze your IIoT data within the context of the asset hierarchy. This can help you identify trends, optimize processes and improve decision-making.

Example: Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Let’s consider a pharmaceutical manufacturing scenario. Here’s how an ISA-95 hierarchy might be applied:

Enterprise: “PharmaCo”
Site: “Anytown Manufacturing Plant”
Area: “Tablet Production”
Production Line: “Tablet Line 1”
Process Cell: “Compression Cell”
Unit: “Tablet Press”
Equipment Module: “Main Press Unit”
Control Module: “PLC Controller 1”

In this example, the hierarchy provides a clear structure for organizing data related to the tablet press, from sensor readings and production metrics to maintenance logs and quality control results. This contextualized data can be used to optimize tablet production, predict equipment failures and ensure product quality.

Conclusion