Logistics Platforms as Drivers for Smart Ecosystems

Digitalization projects help users represent complex processes more simply and efficiently. However, there are many obstacles to implementation. Reluctance to implement these projects is palpable. This affects, among others, employers and employees, who may fall behind economically by waiting or avoiding change. These observations can be traced back to an overarching research question: What barriers and systemic challenges hinder sustainable transformation within the context of Industry 4.0, particularly when considering human labor in production engineering? What questions are the affected stakeholders asking? The primary goal of this long-term research project is to define these questions decisively and in detail in order to develop a conceptual foundation that integrates research, teaching, and technological development and thus combines the potential of digital technologies with the experiential and practical knowledge of production workers.

Knowledge drives innovation, which is why digital platforms are increasingly used for knowledge transfer. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is a global leader in digitalization and digital platforms are central to Chinese knowledge transfer and innovation systems. This study supplements theoretical concepts of knowledge transfer with empirical findings on the (further) development of relevant knowledge platforms. It examines the influence of specific design features on the functionality and quality of digital knowledge platforms. A literature review identifies seven condensed success criteria. Nine leading Chinese knowledge platforms are categorized based on their transfer logic and functional scope. Online survey participants assess the platform-specific manifestations of the identified criteria and highlight potential and areas for improvement in platform-based knowledge transfer.

The VIRAMM research project is developing and prototyping a VR-based training concept for the integration of collaborative robots (cobots) in assembly-oriented U-cells. Since the benefits of cobots depend heavily on process, layout, and role integration, VIRAMM addresses the previously lacking consistent scenario design for variant comparisons with Key Performance Indicator (KPI)-based evaluation.

With the increasing complexity of production and logistics systems, traditional factory planning approaches are reaching their limits. In this context, digital factory planning offers a promising solution for enabling well-informed decisions, particularly during the early planning phases. For startups, the optimal planning of a production facility is challenging, as they often operate with limited financial and infrastructural resources. This paper presents a methodological approach to digital factory planning that utilizes VR simulation for the layout planning of a factory hall for a young company in the solar industry. The proposed approach demonstrates how simulations can support the design of flexible production structures, particularly in startup environments.

The increasing automation of intralogistics requires flexible and resilient control concepts for Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR). While centralized coordination approaches enable stringent control, they quickly reach their limits in terms of scalability and robustness. This paper therefore presents regulations for the decentralized coordination of AMR within the framework of the ORPHEUS project. The focus is on translating known decentralized decision-making principles into a rule framework tailored to industrial material flow scenarios, addressing both operational task assignment and safety-related conflict situations. ORPHEUS thus makes a significant contribution to the methodological structuring, parameterization, and practical transferability of decentralized coordination logics.

The digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector is hampered by vendor lock-in, high cloud costs, and stringent data sovereignty requirements when implementing Industrial Metaverse solutions. Although the Industrial Metaverse is quickly becoming a key concept in Industry 5.0, SMEs are often at a disadvantage when using proprietary solutions. This paper demonstrates how Industrial Metaverse applications can be realized by combining proven communication standards with open web technologies, thereby reducing barriers. This makes immersive applications for training, maintenance, and monitoring feasible even in SMEs. Using an open-source-based prototype as a best-practice implementation, the paper illustrates how the Industrial Metaverse can be made technologically and economically accessible to SMEs.