Autor: Matthias Seitz

Today’s digital factory needs a large variety of different robot systems. For this purpose, the paper presents an approach which assembles the control software with standard function blocks for different axis groups and tests it with a digital twin. The robot simulation is based on the gaming software UnReal and can easily be adapted to different kinematics by specifying the Denavit-Hartenberg parameters. After successful virtual commissioning, the robot hardware is assembled as modularly as the control software by means of individual axes.

Future digital factories are supposed to be controlled by cyber physical systems (CPS). This means that plant components can control the process autonomously without need of a big central automation system. Those modular system structures are very flexible and can be easily adapted to changing processes. This paper presents an example for controlling a robot arm by a microcomputer programmed like a PLC. The PLC-Software based on standard function blocks can easily be plugged together and distributed to several CPS.