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A joint working group of EUROMAP and the OPC Foundation published the draft specification OPC 40079, calling it an industry 4.0-compatible interface intended to succeed the former EUROMAP 67.

In a release, EUROMAP said the change to a software-based interface based on OPC UA allows modern injection molding machines running more complex molds, with extended information on parts tracking, quality, and precise coordination of mold and robot positions to be modeled.

The new specification also reportedly offers additional functions, including operator login on both the molding machine and the robot and the exchange of programs. Real-time communication coordinates the movements of the injection molding machine and robot to avoid collisions and optimize cycle times without requiring buffer times. Coordinated movement is reportedly ensured via OPC UA’s publisher-subscriber mechanism.

The emergency stop and protective devices safety signals remain outside the OPC UA interface. For this purpose, the draft of EUROMAP 81 was published in parallel as a reduced hardware connection. The working group, led by Dr. Harald Weber of Germany Plastics and Rubber Machinery Association (VDMA) had already started developing the information model in 2015. VDMA noted that is was always important that machine operators could easily integrate and use the specification. Publishing the specification at the draft stage gives interested parties the opportunity to review and comment on the standard before it is finalized.

In 2019, EUROMAP, the European plastics and rubber machinery association, and the OPC Foundation, which created the OPC UA specification to define a standardized interface between clients and servers in manufacturing, created a joint working group to ensure all EUROMAP OPC specifications would also be published as OPC Companion Specifications by the OPC Foundation.