Convergence between Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT)

Detail of the component clamping equipment. © Roboteco-Italargon

Specialists, pioneers, innovators—this is the entrepreneurial identity of Irinox SpA, an Italian center of excellence with more than 35 years of continuous growth. Founded on a pioneering vision and a natural aptitude for meeting the needs of an ever-evolving market, Irinox has become a leader in the production of rapid temperature blast chillers and high-quality preservation systems for both professional and domestic applications, as well as stainless-steel electrical enclosures. Since 2022, Irinox has been a benefit corporation, underscoring the company’s commitment to a solid and long-term sustainability pathway.

Irinox Electrical Enclosures has long been recognized for the expertise built over the years, combined with ongoing technological research, enabling the company to deliver certified, high-quality products that compete effectively in both the Italian and international markets and address each customer’s specific requirements. The sectors served by Irinox Electrical Enclosures include Food & Beverage, pharmaceutical and cosmetics, transport and infrastructure, maritime and naval, oil & gas, telecommunications, energy, and environmental services.

All Irinox products are developed around the most noble and pure form of steel—stainless steel—valued for its outstanding thermal, mechanical, and corrosion resistance, ensuring durability over time.

The Irinox Electrical Enclosures product portfolio includes a certified hygienic line, developed in response to European regulations requiring that handling, preparation, processing, and packaging—particularly of food products, and more broadly of all goods requiring contamination-free environments—be carried out using machinery and spaces specifically designed to guarantee optimal hygienic conditions.

In this context, where quality, efficiency, and process safety are non-negotiable requirements, data exchange between Information Technology and Operational Technology becomes a strategic asset to simplify programming, streamline management, and increase the productivity of a robotic welding system.

This concept reaches its fullest expression when producing components that, while belonging to the same product family, differ in size.

Such an application involves the Irinox Electrical Enclosures Division and integrates the solution proposed by Roboteco-Italargon, a partner of Panasonic for thirty-five years in both arc and laser welding processes, as well as the exclusive distributor in Italy and Spain of the multinational’s anthropomorphic robots.

In its search for a reliable, accurate, and adaptable solution for welding the frames of its modular cabinets for control and power distribution panels, Irinox identified Roboteco-Italargon’s proposal as a concrete response to its production needs. Leveraging Panasonic’s iconic TAWERS technology and Roboteco-Italargon’s technical expertise, the solution delivers a more efficient and high-performance process, capable of managing the entire operational workflow.

The application features a robotic arc-welding system equipped with a Panasonic TL-2000WG3 robot and a horizontal table positioner. The welding process adopted is Panasonic’s XAWP Active TAWERS, which allows precise control of heat input and a significant reduction in welding spatter.

During the feasibility study, both the minimum and maximum dimensions of Irinox components were considered (400×400×1600 mm and 1600×800×2200 mm respectively), resulting in an almost infinite range of possible configurations. From the preliminary analysis, it became clear that such dimensional variability required a modular fixture capable of accommodating all possible metrological combinations. Two critical challenges remained: how to adjust the fixture according to the dimensions of the component to be welded, and how to manage the extremely high number of robot programs that would otherwise be required.

The adopted approach was to achieve seamless integration between Information Technology—represented by Irinox’s ERP system—and Operational Technology, consisting of the robotic welding cell, the positioning equipment, and the part-clamping system supplied by Roboteco-Italargon.

Data exchange across the system follows this workflow:

• IT transmits the theoretical dimensions of the component to be produced.
• OT configures the fixture, via encoder-controlled servomotors, based on the information received from IT.
• The operator loads the components into the fixture and secures it. The fixture then transmits the actual dimensional values of the component—measured by appropriate transducers—to the robot via a dedicated protocol.
• The Panasonic robot, running a single parametric program, collects the data from the welding fixture and converts it into the welding path.
• The robot sends the welding parameters used back to the IT system for process data archiving.
• This information flow positions all stakeholders in the process—Irinox’s ERP system, the welding fixture, and the welding robot—as active contributors to project success:

• The ERP system provides initial data to the fixture and receives final process data from the robot for archiving.
• The fixture acquires theoretical dimensional data from the ERP system and transmits the actual part data to the robot.
• The robot receives the real-world part data from the fixture, converts it into a welding path, and transfers the final parameters to the ERP system for storage.

The benefits of this solution are clear and measurable:

• Fully automated management of the production cycle
• Use of a single fixture to position and clamp a very wide range of components
• Development of a single robot program to weld parts with different dimensions
• Guaranteed alignment between the component loaded in the fixture and the robot program in execution
• Long-term reliability ensured through the transmission and archiving of welding parameters

When Irinox tackled the challenge of welding its components, the objective extended beyond efficiency to include precision and operational resilience. Roboteco-Italargon, powered by Panasonic’s TAWERS technology, transformed a complex requirement into a streamlined and optimized process. Through this integrated approach, Irinox can now easily manage the production of components with varying sizes and configurations. The continuous exchange of information between ERP systems and the production plant positions this solution as a tangible strategy to increase productivity and enhance operational performance, reinforcing Irinox’s standing as a reliable and innovative partner in the most demanding industries.