Home - Software-defined Manufacturing

Roth Gruppe

For more than 35 years, the Roth Group has continuously stood for innovative automation solutions with the guiding principle of automating and simplifying standardized processes, regardless of the industry – we automatically make our customers’ future better.
The core of our activity is to tackle and solve mechanical, electrical and control engineering problems with our software know-how. In doing so, we benefit from long-term partnerships, especially in the automotive industry.

As an automation service provider we are the expert for control software with the claim to create this software hardware and manufacturer independent and to select, prepare and present collected data of complete production lines automatically. The goal is to redesign classic machine elements by thinking in software terms and to reduce the commissioning phases on site.

Roth Gruppe Website

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is represented in the research project by four research institutes that contribute complementary, relevant competencies for modern and digital production to the project. The wbk contributes know-how in the areas of manufacturing and materials technology, machines, plants and process automation, and production systems. The competencies are complemented by the expertise of the IAR-IRP in intelligent process automation and robotics. In addition, IFL provides knowledge in the research areas of materials handling and logistics systems. Finally, AIFB contributes its expertise in the practical application of computer science concepts and methods to the research project.

Together, the increase of the mutability of production through SDM and the use of digital twins, quality assurance in complex manufacturing processes, risk assessment in human-robot collaborations and the integration of the project into the GAIA-X ecosystem will be investigated. The individual focal points will be demonstrated in use cases and the results will be communicated to the public.

wbk Institute of Production Science

Institute of Anthropomatics and Robotics – Intelligent Process Automation and Robotics Lab (IAR-IPR)

Institute of Material Handling and Logistics (IFL)

Institute of Applied Informatics and Formal Description Methods

KIT Website

Balluff GmbH

Balluff is a medium-sized company – family-run for four generations, founded in Neuhausen near Stuttgart and grown into a cosmopolitan, leading global player. A sensor and automation specialist with tradition and long-standing customer relationships – which at the same time acts as an important innovation partner and pacemaker for its customers.

In the SDM4FZI project, Balluff GmbH is focusing on the development of a fundamental virtualization and cloud concept as the technological basis of the future production OT for the software-defined manufacturing (SDM) approach. The use of a digital twin to the real sensor will be considered and the topic of over-the-air updates will be analyzed. In addition, an open architecture for IoT interfaces and IO-Link devices will be considered and evaluated, which can map the SDM approach holistically.

Balluff Website

SimPlan AG

SimPlan has many years of experience in the fields of material flow simulation, value stream simulation, factory planning, digital twinning and virtual commissioning (VIBN) with various third-party software and development environments (e.g. PlantSimulation from Siemens, Automod from Applied Materials or Demo3D/Emulate3D from Rockwell) and with its own software solutions (SimAssist, SimVSM, jasima, PacSi). One focus of the development and marketing of own software solutions is in the areas of value stream mapping and value stream simulation as well as in the integration of simulators into IT platforms.

In SDM4FZI, SimPlan is primarily concerned with developing value stream and logistics models into value stream and logistics twins by integrating them into the SDM4FZI platform. Furthermore, the usability of value stream and logistics twins to support transformability is demonstrated together with application partners such as Audi and Bosch.

SimPlan AG Website

ASCon Systems

ASCon Systems is a software company from Stuttgart and has many years of experience in the field of IT solutions. ASCon develops real-time capable management shells that can bridge the gap between digital service and the real production world. The underlying technology, the ASCon Digital Twin, is a real-time capable, discrete-event business process engine. It allows control processes to be defined, connected to real assets and executed without having to program a single line of code (no-code). Modeled processes and value streams can be validated immediately, and changes can be put into production in the shortest possible time. With the ability to orchestrate actuators, sensors, machines, plants, devices and software services into an overall functioning cyber-physical system, control processes can be radically simplified. Application areas are production, logistics, building and infrastructure management.

The focus of ASCon in the SDM4FZI project is the digitization of production with the goal of fully flexible autonomous manufacturing and economical single-unit production.

ASCON Systems Website

University of Stuttgart

The University of Stuttgart is represented by four institutes whose core competences are software and automation technology for production engineering. The ISW contributes its expertise from the areas of: control technology, communication, production IT/OT as well as drive and machine technology. The IAS, as a leading institute for intelligent, networked automation systems, complements the competences with risk and resilience analyses. The IFF is an expert in IT architectures and digital production. The network is rounded off by the ISTE with the competences: software quality and architectures as well as model-driven software development.

Together, the architecture of the reference model is to be defined and implemented concretely on the basis of a use case. The second overarching goal is to enable the production OT to be SDM-capable. The developed solutions are to be married in a demonstrator and shown interacting with each other.

Institut für Automatisierungstechnik und Softwaresysteme (IAS)

Institut für Industrielle Fertigung und Fabrikbetrieb (IFF)

Institut für Software Engineering (ISTE)

Institut für Steuerungstechnik der Werkzeugmaschinen und Fertigungseinrichtungen (ISW)

Universität Stuttgart Website

flexis AG

flexis AG specialises in flexible information systems for supply chain management. The primary goal is to create real added value together with the customer. flexis maintains long-standing and trusting business relationships with customers and partners and contributes to their success with a deep understanding of the process world in different industries. With seven locations worldwide, flexis AG is globally networked and sees itself as a close partner and support service provider for meanwhile more than 2,000 satisfied users, even after successful implementation. The focus is always on the continuous improvement process of the customers.

In the SDM4FZI project, flexis AG focuses on the planning solution for adaptable production. Because if a production structure is designed to be adaptable, then the associated programme planning software must also be adaptable. This is the only way to ensure an optimal interaction of the individual resources and, in addition, to safeguard the robustness of the transformation measures.

flexis AG Website

Bosch

Represented in the project are:

Bosch Automotive Steering GmbH

Bosch Manufacturing Solutions GmbH

Robert Bosch GmbH

Bosch Website

ABB

Represented in the project are:

ABB AG – Forschungszentrum Deutschland

ABB Automation GmbH

ABB Automation Products GmbH

ABB Website

Software-defined Manufacturing

for the vehicle and supplier industry

versatile

continuous

automated

optimised