Real-Time Capable Architecture for Software-Defined Manufacturing

Abstract

AbstractProduction systems are characterized by static configurations and slow adaption to changing requirements. They no longer meet current trends in mutability and dynamic adaptation. Software-defined Manufacturing (SDM) like other software-defined approaches leverages abstraction of hardware to achieve higher flexibility. Based on abstracted hardware, software defines desired functionalities. Requirements from the Operational Technology (OT), especially determinism, must be combined with the flexibility and interoperability of Information Technology (IT). This paper proposes a stack that enables the implementation of SDM based on a requirements analysis. It covers the main phases of the life cycle of automation applications and additional requirements from SDM. We derive the necessary components while resorting to existing approaches whenever possible. Means for applications engineering, configuration, deployment, and orchestration, as well as execution at run time, are developed.