inray Industriesoftware / OPC Router

Source: inray Official Website
(https://www.inray.de/en/)

OPC Router from inray Industriesoftware GmbH automates data exchange between production equipment and business systems. Manufacturing teams in India can use it to connect existing OPC data with applications that need production information or send instructions back to the shop floor.

Connections and transfer workflows are configured graphically. The required plug-ins depend on the systems involved, while equipment access depends on the interfaces already available at the plant.

Key Takeaways

• Evaluate OPC Router when a project needs to move data between production systems and business applications.
• Match the required plug-ins to both ends of each connection, including the direction of data transfer.
• Treat buffering during communication outages and OPC Router failover as separate requirements.
• Test the complete workflow with representative data before selecting a production configuration.

Challenges OPC Router Can Help Solve

Connecting Production Data with SAP

OPC Router links production information with SAP through its SAP plug-in. A workflow can send manufacturing conditions to equipment and return production information to the business system, as demonstrated in the HERMA case study below.

The project needs a defined exchange: which SAP information goes to production, what comes back, and which event starts the transfer. This keeps the integration focused on the manufacturing process.

Transferring OPC Data to Databases and Cloud Systems

OPC Router transfers data between OPC servers and other connected systems, including databases and cloud interfaces. For example, a workflow can read production values and write them to a database for reporting, or pass selected information to an external application.

Transfers can run on a schedule or respond to changing values. This allows each data flow to follow the application's timing requirements.

Configuring Data Transfers with Visual Workflows

Engineers configure connections and data transfers through a drag-and-drop interface. The workflow shows how information moves between systems and where processing takes place.

Standard transfers can be configured without writing interface code. For requirements beyond the available configuration tools, OPC Router also provides a .NET C# scripting option.

What Types of Sites Is OPC Router Suitable For?

OPC Router addresses projects where data is already available in production systems but needs to reach another application automatically. Examples include an Indian plant connecting shop-floor information with SAP, a reporting project using existing OPC servers, or a site replacing separately maintained transfer routines.

For equipment without an accessible interface, the project must first establish that connection. A device connectivity product may be needed alongside OPC Router.

The OPC NEXUS vendor directory covers OPC server products and their connection capabilities.

Key Specifications of OPC Router

Supported Systems and Connection Targets

The OPC UA Client plug-in connects OPC Router to existing OPC UA servers. The OPC UA Server plug-in provides an interface for external UA clients. These roles should be matched to the client/server arrangement of the connected application.

Database plug-ins cover systems such as Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL and PostgreSQL. SAP, MQTT and REST connections use their respective plug-ins. A workflow spanning several systems may therefore require more than one connector.

For a plant integration, list the actual endpoints and their access permissions before selecting the plug-ins. Include whether the workflow reads, writes, publishes or responds to a request.

Data Processing and Operational Add-ons

OPC Router provides tools for processing data during a transfer, including calculations and XML, JSON and CSV handling. Triggers determine when the transfer runs.

The Store & Forward add-on buffers acquired data when a destination is temporarily unavailable and sends it after communication resumes. Its documented scope covers non-time-critical transfers that do not require an immediate response for further processing. Buffering should therefore be evaluated against the behaviour of the complete workflow.

The Redundancy add-on addresses a different failure: loss of an OPC Router instance. Two instances operate as primary and secondary, with mutual monitoring and automatic takeover by the secondary if the primary fails.

Deployment Requirements and Licensing

OPC Router can be installed through a Windows setup, in a Docker container or through an edge management platform. Connected production systems, such as the source OPC server and destination database, are separate components that must be available to the runtime.

Perpetual licensing allows the required plug-ins and add-ons to be selected individually, with maintenance available separately. Subscription packages are offered as Plain, Standard and Enterprise; maintenance and support are included in the subscription.

Package scope matters. The published Standard subscription includes a defined selection of connectors, while Enterprise includes all available plug-ins and add-ons. A project requiring SAP or redundancy should confirm its complete configuration rather than assume every connector is included in the entry package.

OPC Router Case Study: HERMA

HERMA, a manufacturer of self-adhesive products in Filderstadt, Germany, uses OPC Router to exchange information between its SAP ERP system and production equipment.

Challenges Before Implementation

HERMA's manufacturing process needed to carry product and order information through coating, roll cutting and packaging. Production equipment required processing conditions, while SAP needed information generated on the line.

Implementation and Reported Results

The published case describes 14 machines and 35 PLC systems connected with SAP ERP. SAP sends formulation and production-speed information through OPC Router. Information about flawed areas returns to SAP with the corresponding roll number.

For subsequent cutting, the workflow supplies processing speeds and customer-specific specifications. The information allows equipment to stop at recorded flaws so an operator can remove them. The case also describes sending packaging information and measured weights through the connected systems.

Lessons for Projects in India

For a similar project in India, define the record that follows the product through production: an order, batch or roll identifier. Then specify which system supplies each field and when the next process needs it. This translates the case into a workflow design task without assuming the same equipment or results.

Is an OPC Router Trial or Demo Available?

inray offers a free demo download. The official installation documentation states that demo mode includes all plug-ins with a two-hour runtime limit. Licensed plug-ins can run without that limit after activation.

Use the evaluation to test a complete transfer, including its trigger and destination response. For SAP or database integration, check data types, identifiers and permissions. Where buffering or failover is required, include those conditions in the test plan.

Manufacturer Information

inray Industriesoftware GmbH develops OPC Router in Germany. Its official distributor directory lists Sarla Technologies Middle East LLC as covering India among its territories.