Outcomes, Insights and Best Practices from IIC Testbeds: Smart Factory Web Testbed
with a few quality inspections. The Karlsruhe
factory will look at implementing the (PI4.0)
Asset Administration Shell for a number of
assets in the next few months to validate the
concepts of PI4.0. The model factory in
Lemgo in northern Germany also involves
handling and filling but on a larger scale
including assembly within a versatile
production facility. by providing feedback to the relevant
standards bodies—OPC UA, AutomationML,
and also standards work within the IIC and
PI4.0. While other organizations are working
in the area of asset administration, the
Smart Factory Web Testbed strives to play a
forerunner role in this area by tackling the
whole combination of technologies
involved.
Ansan’s model factory is a large facility with
real production equipment to accomplish
tasks including the visual inspection of
pistons from a local vehicle manufacturer’s
factory. The model factory in Ansan features
a fully implemented digital twin of the
manufacturer’s production. There is a real
production line where various parts are
transported and inspected. A floor
simulation model of the robot motions of
the conveyor belt show how the engineering
process is actually conducted. Therefore, if a
change to the line would be needed, it can
be done in the simulation environment (the
digital twin) before going live, which would
otherwise be a high risk. The Smart Factory
Web Testbed strives to work closely with
manufacturing and automation companies
and eventually transfer its technology into
real productive environments. T ESTBED P LANNING
The IIC ecosystem has played a significant
role in the planning of the testbed. Regular
presentations of the Smart Factory Web
Testbed and resulting discussions with IIC
members at quarterly meetings and special
IIC events were important mechanisms
which allowed for continuous discussions
and constructive feedback about the
Testbed’s
purpose
and
function.
Participating in the IIC Member Pavilion at
events such as IoT Solutions World Congress
in Barcelona and Hannover Messe has led to
high visibility of Testbed activities and a
better understanding of the requirements
and potential applications.
In establishing alliances for various
extensions to the Smart Factory Web
Testbed, the IIC ecosystem played an
instrumental role. The IIC’s collaboration
with PI4.0 is enabling the realization of the
I4.0 component concept for selected assets
in the Smart Factory Web Testbed. An I4.0
component
comprises
an
Asset
Administration
Shell
(a
digital
representation) and the respective asset.
Working with IIC member, Microsoft, the
integration of factories into the Microsoft
Azure platform led to visualizing factory
To date, the main deliverables of the testbed
are documents describing the key concepts,
standards application and implementation
architecture of the Smart Factory Web.
These concepts can then be adapted and
adopted for use by a company. Another
planned output of the testbed is the
experience of how to describe asset
capabilities, efficiently integrating assets
into an overall software architecture.
Additionally, the testbed is driving standards
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