cyber-physical production systems

Due to the change of work in manufacturing caused by the introduction of Cyber-Physical systems, there is a need for adequate design principles for user interfaces between humans and machines. Within a research project, a method for the determination and evaluation of such design principles was developed. The method can be used to create a catalogue of rules regarding the successful integration of human factors into Cyber-Physical production systems.

In the context of this article, a methodology for an efficient transfer of knowledge from research into industrial practice regarding cyber-physical production systems is presented. The methodology serves above all to sensitize small and medium-sized (SME) enterprises to the possible potentials of the so-called Industry 4.0. The starting point for this is the need-oriented and individual specification of knowledge required for a practical knowledge transfer and the development of tailor-made competence profiles of future employees in smart SMEs

In today’s production systems the functions of production planning and control (PPC) have a significant impact on an efficient performance of production processes. The decisive interface between the prognosis based planning and its operative realization can be seen in the exchange of plan data and production feedback data. It is to be expected that developments in the context of Industrie 4.0 lead to an increase in data quality and actuality. Based on these improvements improved production planning results can be achieved. In the present paper the main functions of production planning will be discussed in detail and their development potential with regard to Industrie 4.0 will be pointed out.

The customer-oriented individual production, as part of the future project “Industry 4.0”, is based on the progressive shortening of development cycles. The parallel to the material flow directed flow of information gains in importance for a decentralized material flow control. The use of this newly available information through the production systems requires cognitive abilities on the machines. For this, future machines as well as handling and transport systems should communicate, identify problems, make their own conclusions, learn and plan. For this purpose Cyber-Physical Production Systems are the technological foundation.

This contribution deals with potentials for decentralized production control within jobshop production systems. Such potentials are described in exemplary form for LISEGA SE, Zeven (Germany), a medium sized enterprise producing components for technical plant installations. LISEGA plan to modernize their workload oriented order release method. This contribution examines to what degree cyber-physical production systems offer for decentralization and flexibilisation. It discusses the properties of such systems, and their realization by integrated intelligence (data processing capability), communication and sensors.