MODAPTO - Modular manufacturing and distributed control via interoperable digital twins

Challenge

Contemporary manufacturing requires production systems that can be quickly reconfigured to respond rapidly to changing consumer and societal needs and to address mass customization, while effectively handling supply chain or other disruptions, which have become the norm over the past few years. In this regard, the concept of modularity has been utilized to enhance the sustainability of production systems, though not at the desired extent and not without its pitfalls. Many so-called modular systems are practically still monolithic and even modular ones may not achieve their full potential, since not fully integrated within operations or not enabling distributed control.

MODAPTO envisions flexible industrial systems that are composed of production modules enhanced by distributed intelligence via interoperable Digital Twins (DTs) based on industrial standards, seamlessly integrated within a common framework that enables coordination with other modules and systems. At the same time, MODAPTO materializes the benefits of global production view by enabling collective intelligence within modular production schemes for effective module and production line design, reconfiguration and decision support.

Objectives

MODAPTO aims to develop a toolkit for optimal modular production and reconfiguration. The toolkit is based on production modules integrated via interoperable DTs and enhance by distributed (module-level) and collective (global-level) intelligence providing support decisions for sustainable production. Furthermore, novel business models and strategies for the modular manufacturing domain will be devised.

Our contribution 

Fraunhofer IOSB will be contributing to every aspect of the project related to DTs, including tracking and actively contributing to DT standardization, DT interoperability, and realization of DTs in the project using our open source DT implementation FA³ST (https://www.iosb.fraunhofer.de/en/projects-and-products/faaast-tools-digital-twins-asset-administration-shell-industrie40.html). FA³ST will not only be used in this project but also maintained and enhanced with new features such as execution business logic and connecting to assets via additional communication protocols.

Fraunhofer IOSB will also be responsible for the technical coordination in this project