Self-describing connected components for live information access within production systems

Abstract Access to data from components in production systems is potentially an enabler for various data-based approaches. This paper presents a practical approach to transform mechanical components into self-describing cyber-physical systems connected within a local network. The requirements for typical use cases are analysed and a modular cyber-physical connector is proposed. The data is collected by a central OPC UA client and fed into a web-based visualisation, so that it is easily accessible for operators, maintenance staff, and other stakeholders. The approach is illustrated for components with two different levels of complexity.