Seamless Data Integration in a CPPS with Highly Heterogeneous Facilities - Architectures and Use Cases Executed in a Learning Factory

Abstract

Facing the principal challenges of a Cyberphysical System (CPS) in a manufacturing environment by establishing an appropriate universal and scalable architecture the paper shows two explicit use cases of successfully established communication lines (horizontal and vertical) that integrate facilities derived from highly different domains, this all done at the Learning Factory at Graz University of Technology. In present time effective Cyberphysical Production Systems (CPPSs) live on the pervasive and seamless data integration of its data generators and receivers mainly facilitated by the Linkage Part of a CPPS. The connectivity, its semantic interoperability and the scalability need well-designed concepts and architectures because of the existence of too many standards and protocols. The challenge increases significantly if the network should be set up with facilities from many different suppliers and their proprietary standards. At the Learning Factory of Graz University of Technology the integration of most heterogeneous products at the office floor and at the shop floor is a major part of its research. The paper presents two solutions in form of “Use Cases,” representing an innovative concept for both the vertical and the horizontal integration. Usage of an Enterprise Service Bus at the office floor and the installation of the “KEPServerEX”- middleware at the shop floor are selected core approaches for creating a representative CPPS.