Vision: Design and operation of cyber-physical production modules for the sustainable factory environment of the future

Focus features of autonomous production:
Self-explanatory capability
Fault tolerance and resilience
Resource adaption
Collaboration

Long-term goals:
Innovative “pl4” modules and hardware in the demonstrator landscape (based on sustainability aspects and requirements of pl4).
A SmartFactoryKL network (internal and external), available and retrievable at any time.
A new infrastructure based on the overall concept, topology, power supply (dc, ac, ethernet, etc.).
Integration of the edge architecture (edge devices, edge nodes, etc.) In the demonstrator.

Short-term goals:
Module requirements determined in the context of Production Level 4.
Whitepaper about implementation of an innovative infrastructure for the demonstrator and new pl4 module development.
Advanced design of the edge architecture and, if necessary, initial implementation.

Vision: Build a manufacturer-independent platform for the autonomous process control of production systems.

Focus features of autonomous production:
Self-explanatory capability
Collaboration
Resource adaption
Decision making capability

Long-term goals:
A manufacturer-independent and robust information architecture and middleware.
Information and capability models in the administrative shell
Autonomous and flexible process control in production through a matching approach.
Negotiation strategies for optimal and sustainable resource use.

Short-term goals:
Interface to the product configurator and derivation of product administrative shells.
An interoperable middleware for data collection and storage.
Capability models for product and process adminatrative shells.
Autonomous capability matching of product and machine for flexible process control.
Visualization of module states and production decision processes.

Vision: Build a cognitive factory that can make active choices to improve production.

Focus features of autonomous production:
Decision making capability
Self-learning ability
Fault tolerance and resilience

Long-term goals:
Assistance systems for humans through automated processing of data and recommended actions based on this data.
Optimization and control of production processes through agent systems (trained in simulations).
Early detection of faults and malfunctions through modern sensor technology.
Minimize and optimize retooling through automated parameterization.
Linking cloud, edge, and ot
                                                                                     …based on machine learning methods

Short-term goals:
Integrated sensors in the production modules / transport systems.
Data analytics for the dashboard.
Worker assistance in the commissioning and servicing of modules.
A material flow simulation for the demonstrator.