From Digital Shop floor to Real-Time Reporting: an IIoT Based Educational Use Case

Abstract

The Smart Production Lab (Lab)at the FH JOANNEUM in Kapfenberg, Austria, is a digital learning and research factory with an interdisciplinary focus on vertical and horizontal IT-integration. It is aiming at a higher transparency and productivity by applying latest digital technologies. The key technology is the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Therefore, research driven IoT use cases are further developed such as hybrid IoT-concepts and architectures involving edge and cloud computing. State-of-the-Art use cases apply of-the-shelf technologies for ready-to-use implementations and teaching purposes. This paper introduces a case-based teaching concept in the area of IIoT. It provides students with a hands-on experience as well as deep insights in what is meant by modelling and implementing an IoT data flow from the shop floor to real-time reporting. For this purpose, on the operational technology (OT) layer IoT nodes were attached to the machinery in the Lab gathering and providing data for the IoT middleware layer, based on Open Platform Communication Unified Architecture (OPC UA). This central middleware-layer is represented by the open source platform Node-RED. In the respective use case the data is transformed in order to be stored in a NoSQL database, from where it can be accessed for real-time reporting either by cloud or on premise applications. The interdisciplinary nature of these use case consists of integrating the different aspects of a digital production, involving disciplines such as automation, digital retrofitting, operational technology, and informational technology. Thus, it provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the benefits and limitations of IIoT.