WP3: Communication framework for heterogeneous devices

General summary and objectives of the work package

This work package will realize an IT infrastructure, which is complementing existing factory backbones and machine concepts in the industries. It shall build on top of the strengths of existing standards for factory automation such as Ethercat, Profibus, Open Process Connectivity (OPC) and shall interface manufacturing execution systems (MES). A communication framework will be developed, which will realize a layer-oriented communication scheme allowing interfacing heterogeneous devices of different capabilities and enable negotiation between devices in order to find optimal device setup during the ramp-up phases of production.
WP3 will take up the gathering of industrial requirements and overall architecture and data model definitions (WP1) and adapt the communication/negotiation requirements to previously defined industrial scenarios. The main objectives are:

Decide about communication and technology stack for the rest of the project

• Realize the communication scheme for heterogeneous devices
• Realize an Interception adapter of Enterprise service busses, which allows to follow up the communication of the machine with existing manufacturing execution systems (MES)
• Create a human machine interface (HMI) for establishing and monitoring communication of NETDEVs and sensors. This HMI shall be suitable to be operated directly on the shopfloor as well as for planning issues.

Partners involved in this work package
Partner GAMAX is work package leader and will be supported by partners Harms&Wende, AWL, Fraunhofer IPA, University of Applied Science Karlsruhe, Faculty of Engineering at Porto University, Critical Manufacturing, IEF Werner, INOS, and Freedom Grow.

State of affairs/results
Recent developments and results will be presented here soon.