Adaptability

The network as a complexity driver gains in importance due to a proceeding globalization. The amount and location of sites are a key part of the network. A growing number of sites raises the complexity causing further coordination efforts, interfaces and opacity. Complexity has not been taken into account within location decisions yet. Thus this article analyses the connection between the amount of sites and complexity.

Increasing market volatility and uncertainty require manufacturing companies to adapt their operations model to a substantially changing environment. The orientation towards agility can be seen as a key to success in such a situation. To achieve agility for an organization it is necessary to address four distinct dimensions of agility. A company oriented towards lean production tries to optimize one variable at a time. However, to become agile it is required to address two variables simultaneously. This article outlines current challenges for industrial organizations and points out possible solutions.

Temporary employment can contribute significantly to the efficient regulation of the workforce capacity. Personnel service providers enable not only needs-based and speedy recruitment of employees, but also their flexible deployment and eventually quick release. The article describes the relevant management options available and compares them to in-house alternatives. The advantages of using temporary employment, together with the related risks are emphasized.

The contribution describes seven effects of cyber-physical systems (CPS) on production systems. These effects encompass the influence of CPS on adaptability, the intensified usage of more available factory data and the de-hierarcization of planning and control. Additionally a research approach is presented for investigating the effects of CPS on production systems using a controlled laboratory environment. The contribution ends with a description of further research questions.

The introduction of autonomous cars in street traffic creates the desire for self-organization of these cars regarding security, economic and ecologic aspects. To this regard, optimization based distributed control algorithms provide a solution approach for communicating autonomous cars. In this work we discuss a hierarchical model predictive control concept. On the operational level, individual goals of the drivers and security aspects are considered. Utilizing a planning layer, we show how overall goals like traffic flow maximization can be implemented. To this end, if a traffic event is triggered, a route for each individual car is computed centrally based on the current traffic conditions. The structure of the control also allows integrating cars, which are not actively taking part in the communication, via sensor fusion techniques.

Mechatronic systems have to fulfill increasingly advanced functions and requirements to serve future customer needs and create reliable, resource-efficient and user-friendly systems. To realize tomorrow’s technical systems, solutions in context of self-optimization can be used. Thus, intelligent behavior can be integrated in technical systems. These systems are able to adapt their behavior autonomously and react to outer influences. The Leading-Edge Cluster “Intelligent Technical Systems OstWestfalenLippe (it’s OWL)” focuses on the described innovation leap from mechatronics to intelligent technical systems. Within this contribution we explain the capabilities of solutions in context of self-optimization on the example of machine learning methods. Furthermore, an approach for the identification of potentials for the integration of self-optimization in mechatronic systems will be introduced.

Volatile markets and global and inter-industrial networks are creating a radically more dynamic market environment calling for considerably greater on-demand flexibility and reductions in resource deployment. This results in a need for action in two further areas, namely increasing transformability and responding to demographic change. Today’s businesses have to respond to evolving these trends. Manufacturing will also have to adapt to the increasing dynamism of sales markets and the radical challenges thrown up by the innovation process, particularly in regard to energy and resource efficiency and the increasing hybridization of products using mechatronics, software and services. Innovative approaches are needed to accelerate the product creation process, optimize the transitions from product development to production, and ensure that the cost of manufacturing is competitive. This study examines constructive approaches in the area of urban production for sustainable added value in ...

The development of information and communication technologies (ICT) is progressing rapidly and is seen in today‘s economic action as a key driver of innovation. Future industrial production is characterized by a high degree of customization of products and a strong production flexibility. The rapid development of the Internet has contributed especially in recent years in the private life of merging the real with the virtual world and will get stronger in the future of industrial sector. This paradigm shift is referred to as Industry 4.0. This paper gives an overview of the Industry 4.0 and represents the potential of the transformation process.

The increasing complexity in manufacturing companies’ business environment requires the fast response to changes with little effort. The article focuses the design and implementation of a changeable and versatile production system that transfers the well-proven tact-oriented principle to the whole order management process. The realization is illustrated by practical examples.

The amount of resource efforts prevails with 46 % all other cost factors within classic manufacturing structures. Focusing on energy and labor costs as a source of raising companies profit seems no longer useful. Today, material costs of the manufacturing industry are about 500 billion euro per year, connected with a saving potential about approx. 100 billion euro. Also the belonging for sustainably produced products is still raising and is becoming a factor for a guaranteed purchase. Small and medium-sized enterprises fitted attempt, which helps increasing the transparency of internal processes and allows a resource driven ecological and economical assessment, is the main subject of this article.