At the 2019 Hannover Messe trade fair, Omron Industrial Automation Europe unveiled a new AI controller with integrated Sysmac library for predictive machine maintenance. It operates within the machine using edge computing, with the raw data needed for analysis being collected in situ. It then uses correlation analysis to create data models which help it to monitor the status of the machine. Thanks to its adaptive AI, the controller is able to recognize anomalous machine behavior and report it to the operator, all without additional programming. This allows companies to identify problems early on and take preventive steps to correct them.

The controller is based on a combination of hardware, software and manual control. For hardware, Omron uses the NY5 machine controller and the NX7 series CPU. The manufacturer has also integrated several of its AI components and a library of pre-programmed function blocks for predictive maintenance, plus a time series database and an AI engine.