Asset Administration Shell as the Key Enabler of the Industry 4.0 Phenomenon

Abstract

With the advent of the Industry 4.0 concept, the digitization of industrial production enterprises and the development of technologies that enabled the transformation of production into a so-called smart factory accelerated. One of the core components of this modern factory is the I4.0 component consisting of a resource and its virtual envelope (AAS). It is the virtual envelope that forms the complex digital twin of the resource and enables interaction with the environment. The AAS standard is gradually being formed, while there are already parts enabling the design and implementation of the so-called passive part of AAS. Using the theory, the original idea is transformed into a semi-formal description, which can already be implemented in various applications. Other technologies such as OPC UA, REST API, TSN are connected with AAS and its deployment, which ensure communication and the implementation itself. This paper discusses various aspects that are related to the role, design and implementation of AAS in various applications.