Synus

Question and motivation

The targeted digitalization of the value chain is considered an essential prerequisite for increasing the competitiveness and innovative strength of German industrial companies. In simple terms, this is understood as the collection, processing and provision of information for networking people, machines and objects in a real-time system. The collection, analysis and targeted use of this information improves the planning, development and control of products and processes along the entire value chain. This is based on Industry 4.0 solutions that are implemented and used in various areas of the company. Despite the diverse potential of these I4.0 solutions, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular have so far been reluctant to introduce and use digital technologies. This can be attributed to the following hurdles

• a lack of knowledge about available I4.0 solutions per se, as well as about the areas of the company affected by specific solutions, such as product development, sales and production
• high initial investments and unknown follow-up costs (e.g. for operation, maintenance or necessary employee training)
• Insufficient ability to assess the positive and negative effects of introducing a specific I4.0 solution for your own company

As a basis for the targeted introduction of I4.0 solutions into the value creation processes of SMEs, methods and tools are therefore required to identify and evaluate changes in information, energy and material flows in the various areas of the company. Only by comprehensively analyzing the company-specific benefits and challenges can the risks of introducing I4.0 solutions be assessed and reliable investment decisions made.

Approach and project objective

The Synus innovation network is being carried out in cooperation with TU Braunschweig, TU Clausthal and Ostfalia HaW and with the participation of various industry and transfer partners from the Braunschweig and Göttingen region. The aim of the innovation network is to map the information, material and energy flows within companies that have been changed by I4.0 solutions on a cross-sectoral basis. The aim is to identify potentials, but also obstacles, through the implementation of I4.0 solutions and to secure investment decisions. To achieve these objectives, modeling, simulation and evaluation methods and tools for the integrated design and assessment of I4.0 solutions are being researched, prototyped and applied in practice. The focus is on the following sub-goals:

• Identification and characterization of existing I4.0 solutions for the business areas of product development, production planning and production
• Development of a potential model that provides companies with an overview of the interactions between specific I4.0 solutions, as well as their various fields of impact and target criteria (quantitative and qualitative).
• Conception of a multiscale modeling methodology and development of a model library to map company-specific information, material and energy flows at different levels (e.g. physical level, information system and embedded systems).
• Development of a simulation platform for production systems that accesses the previously created model library and creates the basis for a quantitative assessment of the potential of specific I4.0 solutions by quantifying information, material and energy flows.
• Development of an evaluation methodology to assess the added value that can be achieved through I4.0 solutions with the aid of quantitative simulation results, qualitative criteria at the product development, production planning and production levels as well as existing uncertainties (e.g. robustness or availability of technologies)

The results are a multiscale tool set and a comprehensive guide for modeling, simulation and evaluation of I4.0 solutions. With the help of this tool set, the potential and costs of using specific I4.0 solutions from the perspectives of product development, production planning and production can be identified and assessed using quantitative and qualitative criteria. The design and application of the tool set in the context of case studies should produce usable simulation and evaluation tools for industrial companies. In the medium term, these will enable SMEs to assess the company-specific potential of I4.0 solutions based on the existing infrastructure, organizational framework conditions and strategic planning.

Objectives and approach of the sub-projects

Objective: 
In recent years, the automation pyramid has been used to successfully bridge the gap between technical processes and the business processes above them. It encompasses all the necessary functions of automation technology and divides them into four layers. The sub-project at Clausthal University of Technology aims to research a concept for modular I4.0 models that links the different layers of the automation pyramid and enables a modular structure of production models. The focus here is on the IT architecture between the individual levels of automation technology. 

Approach: 
Quantifying information, material and energy flows at the production level is essential in order to arrive at a meaningful assessment of the potential of I4.0 solutions. In order to make this possible at a reasonable cost for SMEs, an executable simulation platform is being designed within the Clausthal University of Technology sub-project. It allows the compilation and integrated simulation of modular models from the model library in a production model. This makes it possible to virtually compare the current state with various I4.0 states in the context of the existing system landscape.