Research and Evaluation

From Industry 3.0 to Smart Factory
In factories, there are more and more intelligent systems that have knowledge about the manufacturing process and make decisions themselves. Until now, machines and robots have mainly communicated with each other and not with humans. When they make their own decisions in the future - for example, that a workpiece must be preferred to another because it is more important or more urgent - they have to pass this on to those who control the entire process: the employees. 

People and their place in industry 4.0
In a factory with intelligent technical systems, the role of the employees also changes. They are no longer button-pushers or inserters, but have to intervene in a controlling way, repair or make decisions. They become flexible problem solvers. In the long term, man and machine have to be enabled to work hand in hand. In this way, the employees have to be picked up where they are today and acceptance has to be created.

Extended qualification as a success factor for industry 4.0
The integration of IT into the production process that goes hand in hand with Industry 4.0 means massive changes in the work content and an expansion of the qualification profiles of the skilled workers in the companies. Successful qualification for Industry 4.0 cannot be achieved solely through traditional training and further training formats such as face-to-face events. Rather, it is dependent on new application formats which address employees in a target group and, above all, needs-specific manner.

Hybrid simulation environment
Our centre includes a fully integrated and functional IT stack from programmable logic controllers on the machine to manufacturing execution, ERP and management information systems. Real technology in logistics, robotics and IT is used to visually and haptically illustrate almost any scenario of future value-added processes by means of simulated machines and workpieces. The fast and low-effort linking of physically or virtually provided production objects allows us to demonstrate the benefits of Industry 4.0 technology in a vivid and realistic way in the specific process. The highly flexible infrastructure can be configured for various scenarios in order to make Industry 4.0 and its potential accessible in an interactive and application-oriented way.

The Learning Factory as a practical teaching tool
The highly flexible simulation environment of our learning factory allows the use of a variety of educational modules, which are based on a didactic concept. This framework thus serves both for the structured development of modules for use in industry 4.0 scenarios and for the systematic and targeted selection of modules for curriculum-based training. In the latter case, the focus is on potential action problems whose origin lies in company practice. Resistances against learning are not understood here as disturbances but as a chance to learn.

Real data and real technology to promote immersion
Since real data and real technology are used, this unique representation helps to create a realistic factory environment and to depict different production scenarios or forms of organisation. Due to the production-like environment conditions, a high degree of immersion is achieved, which makes it easier for the participants to transfer the learning content to their own factory environment. 

Flexible design of learning scenarios
The flexibility of the solution enables the focus on different learning contents and associated competences in the environment of Industry 4.0. The learning scenarios can thus be specifically varied for different target groups, e.g. production managers, foremen and machine operators.

From Industry 3.0 to Smart Factory
In factories, there are more and more intelligent systems that have knowledge about the manufacturing process and make decisions themselves. Until now, machines and robots have mainly communicated with each other and not with humans. When they make their own decisions in the future - for example, that a workpiece must be preferred to another because it is more important or more urgent - they have to pass this on to those who control the entire process: the employees. 

People and their place in industry 4.0
In a factory with intelligent technical systems, the role of the employees also changes. They are no longer button-pushers or inserters, but have to intervene in a controlling way, repair or make decisions. They become flexible problem solvers. In the long term, man and machine have to be enabled to work hand in hand. In this way, the employees have to be picked up where they are today and acceptance has to be created. 

Extended qualification as a success factor for industry 4.0
The integration of IT into the production process that goes hand in hand with Industry 4.0 means massive changes in the work content and an expansion of the qualification profiles of the skilled workers in the companies. Successful qualification for Industry 4.0 cannot be achieved solely through traditional training and further training formats such as face-to-face events. Rather, it is dependent on new application formats which address employees in a target group and, above all, needs-specific manner.

Hybrid simulation environment
Our centre includes a fully integrated and functional IT stack from programmable logic controllers on the machine to manufacturing execution, ERP and management information systems. Real technology in logistics, robotics and IT is used to visually and haptically illustrate almost any scenario of future value-added processes by means of simulated machines and workpieces. The fast and low-effort linking of physically or virtually provided production objects allows us to demonstrate the benefits of Industry 4.0 technology in a vivid and realistic way in the specific process. The highly flexible infrastructure can be configured for various scenarios in order to make Industry 4.0 and its potential accessible in an interactive and application-oriented way.

Benefit evaluation of new educational approaches
The highly flexible simulation environment enables a variety of educational approach applications. These can be used in isolation, in combination as well as in variants, and can be evaluated in applications of Industry 4.0 components. The simulation of the current production environment allows the testing of different approaches

Real data and real technology to promote immersion
Since real data and real technology are used, this unique representation helps to create a realistic factory environment and to depict different production scenarios or forms of organisation. Due to the production-like environment conditions, a high degree of immersion is achieved, which makes it easier for the participants to transfer the learning content to their own factory environment. 

Flexible design of learning scenarios
The flexibility of the solution enables the focus on different learning contents and associated competences in the environment of Industry 4.0. The learning scenarios can thus be specifically varied for different target groups, e.g. production managers, foremen and machine operators.

Hybride Simulationsumgebung
Unser Zentrum beinhaltet einen vollständig integrierten und funktionsfähigen IT-Stack von der speicherprogrammierbaren Steuerung an der Maschine bis zu Manufacturing Execution-, ERP- und Managementinformationssystemen. Echte Technik in Logistik, Robotik und IT wird verwendet, um mittels simulierter Maschinen und Werkstücke nahezu beliebige Szenarien zukünftiger Wertschöpfungsprozesse visuell und haptisch anschaulich darzustellen. Die schnelle und aufwandsarme Verknüpfung von physisch oder virtuell bereit gestellten Produktionsobjekten erlaubt es uns hierbei, den Nutzen von Industrie 4.0 Technologie plastisch und realistisch am konkreten Prozess aufzuzeigen. Dabei kann die hochflexible Infrastruktur für verschiedene Szenarien konfiguriert werden, um Industrie 4.0 und dessen Potenziale anwendungsnah und interaktiv erfahrbar zu machen.

Reale Daten und reale Technik zur Förderung von Immersion
Da mit realen Daten und realer Technik gearbeitet wird, hilft diese einzigartige Darstellung, ein realistisches Fabrikumfeld zu schaffen und unterschiedliche Produktionsszenarien oder Organisationsformen abzubilden. Zusätzlich werden durch die fertigungsähnliche Umgebungsbedingungen eine hohe Immersion bei den Teilnehmern erreicht.

Datenerhebungen und wiederholte Experimente
Das Forschen an den Eigenschaften eines Produktionssystems ohne in der Fabrik zu sein und eine hohe Praxisnähe durch die komplette Abbildung der gesamten Automatisierungspyramide von ERP zu SPS ermöglichen aufwandsarme Evaluation eigener Prototypen und Softwaresystemen auf jeder Ebene der Automatisierungspyramide. Dabei stellt die exakte Wiederholbarkeit von Experimenten durch umfassende Kontrolle diverser Untersuchungsparameter die wissenschaftliche Fundierung dar. Durch die Bereitstellung eines offenen Modells für alle Objekte, Prozesse, Handhabungen und Benutzeraktivitäten wird die sofortige datenbasierte Auswertungen individueller Forschungsfragen ermöglicht. 

Kommunikation der Forschungsergebnisse durch die hybride Simulationsumgebung
Die Simulationsumgebung des Zentrum Industrie 4.0 gestattet den einfachen Wechsel zwischen einer Vielzahl unterschiedlicher Showcases. Demonstrationen können somit schnell und individuell angepasst werden. Die Verdeutlichung des Zusammenwirkens der Elemente moderner Produktionsysteme kann somit auf die individuelle Situation des Interessenten angepasst werden. Somit können Forschungsergebnisse an konkreten Szenarien kommuniziert und präsentiert werden.