Configuration and Control Approach for Flexible Production Stations

Abstract

This paper discusses the design and implementation of a software platform that undergoes the configuration and control activities that are needed in a modular production station. Towards the notion of Industry 4.0 concept, new technologies are introduced to the production offering several benefits to the industries, such as providing a higher flexibility in the assembly stations. Nevertheless, such systems need to be easily configured and coordinated without compromising the production stations. Towards fully exploiting those capabilities, a central execution platform able to organize, manage and control those technologies is proposed. XML-based resource configuration and task allocation as well as support for controlling multiple resource types, such as robots, grippers, vision systems etc. following the "plug&play" concept, are the key benefits of the proposed system. The whole implementation has been validated in a case study inspired from an actual assembly station of the consumer goods industry.