Plant floor communications integration using a low cost CPPS architecture

Currently, factory automation systems need to cope with very different challenges, such as technological advances happening very fast, global and competitive market or product customization. These challenges lead to a new generation of automation systems based on the so-called Cyber-Physical Production Systems (CPPS) globally connected to form a flexible System of Cyber-Physical Production Systems (SoCPPS). CPPSs require acquisition of production system data and smart data processing to extract information to improve the overall system performance. To achieve that it is needed to bridge the gap between the control systems and higher layers. This paper discusses an approach to use the IEC 61499 function block concept to exchange data between plant floor and higher layers using an industrial standard like OPC UA. The OPC UA server offers subscription mechanisms, making possible the integration of several resources residing at plant floor. As it runs on embedded devices, the proposal makes possible to acquire plant information at low cost, enabling at the same time, a component-based design for enterprise plant floor control with independence of the hardware platform used.

[1]  Jan Verelst,et al.  An OPC UA interface for an evolvable ISA88 control module , 2011, ETFA2011.

[2]  Marcelo V. Garcia,et al.  Developing CPPS within IEC-61499 based on low cost devices , 2015, 2015 IEEE World Conference on Factory Communication Systems (WFCS).

[3]  Katsuhiko Takahashi,et al.  Integrating Lean and Agile Strategies into the Production Control System for Mixed-model Production Lines , 2007, APMS.

[4]  Sebastian Rohjans,et al.  Application of the OPC UA for the Smart Grid , 2011, 2011 2nd IEEE PES International Conference and Exhibition on Innovative Smart Grid Technologies.

[5]  Bernd Brügge,et al.  Agile Factory - An Example of an Industry 4.0 Manufacturing Process , 2015, 2015 IEEE 3rd International Conference on Cyber-Physical Systems, Networks, and Applications.

[6]  Marcelo V. Garcia,et al.  Building industrial CPS with the IEC 61499 standard on low-cost hardware platforms , 2014, Proceedings of the 2014 IEEE Emerging Technology and Factory Automation (ETFA).

[7]  Katja Windt,et al.  Autonomy in production logistics: Identification, characterisation and application , 2008 .

[8]  A. Zoitl,et al.  Framework for Distributed Industrial Automation and Control (4DIAC) , 2008, 2008 6th IEEE International Conference on Industrial Informatics.

[9]  Jaeho Kim,et al.  M2M Service Platforms: Survey, Issues, and Enabling Technologies , 2014, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials.

[10]  N. Jazdi,et al.  Cyber physical systems in the context of Industry 4.0 , 2014, 2014 IEEE International Conference on Automation, Quality and Testing, Robotics.