Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB
Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB

Manufacturing Execution Systems and Production Control

SCADA, operating and monitoring systems, BDE/MDE, detailed production planning: these functionalities and their (bidirectional) communication with the control systems and other data sources are our roots. Industrie 4.0 has dissolved the classic hierarchy of production-related IT: networked, scalable components based on open standards are becoming increasingly prevalent. On-premise, cloud-based, as SaaS solutions, with cross-location evaluations: every company has to find its own solution.

The tasks in production are becoming increasingly complex: due to permanent changes, companies are constantly adapting their production systems to product and process innovations. Production systems and production-related IT systems have to be put into operation faster and faster due to market dynamics. For these two reasons, among others, MES and control systems are becoming increasingly important for transparent and reliable production.

This is what Fraunhofer IOSB understands by MES today:

  • Service-oriented production-related IT systems with open interfaces that can run on different platforms
  • Scalable applications for the comprehensive visualization, operation and monitoring of automated production systems and conveyor technology
  • Systems for intelligent and online-capable fine control of individual production areas using multi-criteria optimization processes
  • Control technology with energy monitoring and energy management functionalities
  • Applications for monitoring objects equipped with different localization technologies
  • Web-based systems for user-oriented evaluation of the data collected by the individual systems

 

Service-oriented architecture

The market for production-related IT systems is on the move. The previous, rather monolithic MES systems are developing in the direction of service-oriented architectures. MES functionalities are of great importance for Industrie 4.0; the only question is at which system level they will be executed in the future. Due to the performance of embedded systems, so-called edge devices and future industrial PCs, it is quite foreseeable that MES functions will soon be executed decentrally close to the production plant. This is particularly true when it comes to quickly processing and consolidating data from the machines and their components and forwarding it to other participants in the network.

On the other hand, MES systems require an online connection to the digital factory with the option of comparing runtime data directly with planning data, executing simulations at runtime and thus supporting fast decisions by operating personnel; these are functions that are more likely to be executed centrally than decentrally in an edge device.