Home - Software-defined Manufacturing

CODESYS

CODESYS Group has many years of experience in providing hardware-independent automation platforms (with which 400 customers have implemented over 1000 automation devices in the last 25 years) and a professional engineering tool for automation projects with controllers and field devices using graphical and textual programming languages or building block-based application generation and the option to create and execute automated test cases of the control software.

For the SDM4FZI project, CODESYS Group develops the technological basis, i.e. the central platform for the application software, as well as the virtual controllers or SoftPLC systems. The main aspect of the research work is the realization of virtual controllers and safety controllers that control production from the data center in a freely scalable number and performance category. In addition, the project planning interface (IDE) will be provided in a public cloud platform, among other things, so that it can be used across locations for programming, central administration and CI testing of virtual controllers. All CODESYS customers who want to significantly reduce the hardware requirements of the automation platform via cloud or IT servers/data center and thus considerably simplify the administration of the overall system will benefit from the results of the project.

CODESYS Website

NAGEL

NAGEL Maschinen- und Werkzeugfabrik GmbH is the leading specialist in the field of honing and superfinishing technology. More than 1200 employees at seven locations worldwide, 400 of them at the headquarters in Nürtingen, develop and implement superfinishing processes for our customers in the automotive, fluid power, mechanical engineering and medical technology industries. This includes corresponding machine tools, machining and measuring tools as well as automation solutions; but also the development of cutting processes and cutting tools according to individual customer requirements. With a process optimized for the respective workpiece, component surfaces can be produced economically and reliably in the required shape and surface quality.

Within SDM4FZI, NAGEL addresses several strategic challenges in order to make the development and operation of the machine tools produced even more economical and efficient. Software, combined with uniform and consistent data models, represents a key technology here. Due to the high internal vertical integration, added value is created for our customers as well as for NAGEL itself.

NAGEL Website

KENBUN IT AG

KENBUN IT AG is an AI-focused startup (founded in 2018) from Karlsruhe, Germany. The AI experts for Artificial Intelligence, speech technologies and Big Data solutions support the Digital Transformation. KENBUN mission is to provide companies with access to modern AI and to simplify work processes through voice-controlled assistant. As experts, KENBUN collectively brings a weight of more than 100 years of IT project experience and is a long-standing and trusted business partner of customers and reliable partner in research projects.

At SDM4FZI, among other things, KENBUN pursues research and further development of speech assistants for industrial applications, especially robust speech recognition in environments with background noise. In addition, KENBUN is concerned with automation in the development and operation of AI-based applications and AI applications for changeable production. In cooperation with flexis AG, the combination of AI methods and optimization methods for order planning based on the product to be manufactured is investigated.

KENBUN IT AG Website

HEITEC

HEITEC stands for industrial competence in automation, digitalization and electronics and offers solutions, products and services. With technically high-quality, reliable and economical system solutions, HEITEC supports over 2,000 customers in increasing their productivity and optimizing their products. More than 1,000 employees at numerous locations in Germany and abroad ensure customer proximity and industry expertise.

In the SDM4FZI project, HEITEC AG and its partners are developing behavioral models for digital twins. Here, we can fall back on an existing in-house foundation and know-how in digital engineering. The focus is on standardizing the individual components so that a tool-independent library is created. In addition, architectures for the automatic creation of digital twins through software generation are set up within this framework.

HEITEC Website

ABB

ABB is a leading technology company that is energetically driving the transformation of society and industry worldwide into a more productive and sustainable future. By combining its portfolio in electrification, robotics, automation and motion with software, ABB defines the boundaries of what is technologically possible, enabling new levels of excellence. ABB has a successful history spanning more than 130 years. The company’s success is based on the talent of its approximately 105,000 employees in more than 100 countries.

ABB Website

Audi Planung GmbH

As a wholly owned subsidiary of AUDI AG, Audi Planung GmbH implements projects of particular complexity and demanding premises for our customers within the Volkswagen Group from four German locations. In addition to classic planning services along the entire value chain, digital products and services from the areas of technology and information management round out the service portfolio.
With innovative ideas, Audi Planung GmbH is setting the digitization of automobile production in motion. All requirements from development, planning and implementation to service and marketing are covered. With methodological expertise, process know-how and the constant striving for the highest quality of work results, customers worldwide are delighted.
In addition to customer satisfaction, the company’s goals also include forward-looking thinking and action towards our environment. Audi Planung GmbH offers an attractive working environment for employees and takes its corporate social responsibility seriously.

Audi Planung GmbH focuses in the joint project SDM4FZI on the fundamentals for the implementation of Software-Defined Manufacturing and the technical applicability of virtualization in the production and logistics environment. The focus is on the development of sustainable, networked, safe and customized production.

Audi Planung Website

Pilz

The Pilz Group is a global supplier of products, systems and services for automation technology. The family-owned company, headquartered in Ostfildern, Germany, employs around 2,500 people. With 42 subsidiaries and branches, Pilz creates safety for man, machine and environment worldwide. The technology leader offers complete automation solutions comprising sensors, control technology and drive technology – including systems for industrial communication, diagnostics and visualisation. An international range of services including consulting, engineering and training rounds off the portfolio. Pilz solutions are used not only in mechanical and plant engineering, but also in numerous industries, such as intralogistics, railroad technology and robotics.

As part of SDM4FZI, Pilz is working on tool-supported CE conformity. This includes the digitization of machine safety in a format standardized by the management shell. Further content relates to topics around connectivity and security.

Pilz Website

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

Software-defined Manufacturing

for the vehicle and supplier industry

versatile

continuous

automated

optimised