The PERFoRM project developed a new generation of agile manufacturing systems based on a plug-and-produce concept, in order to cope with smaller lot sizes and shorter lead time and time-to-market.
Core of the project has been the development of a common reference architecture that supports flexible CPS for true plug and produce devices, robots and machines architecture. Within this system architecture a middleware establishes the communication between humans, machinery and robots. The middleware has been developed, tested by two testbed facilities and implemented in four industrial use cases at Siemens compressor manufacturing, e-District electric vehicle manufacturing, GKN aerospace components and Whirlpool microwave oven manufacturing. Technology adaptors have been developed to integrate legacy systems into the architecture and to connect them to the middleware. Furthermore a number of services, methods and tools for data analytics, simulation, visualization, scheduling and decision support have been developed in order to exploit the data that was made available by the connected machinery.
In order to finally achieve an industrial application of Industry 4.0 a migration strategy to support the migration of legacy systems into Industry 4.0-compliant manufacturing infrastructures has been developed. The seamless, secure and effective integration of humans into flexible CPS and integration strategies for agent-based technologies into industrial practice were key outcomes of the project as well.
Continuously the dissemination, exploitation and standardization of the project results were conducted with a specific focus to maximize business impact, community building and technology standardization. The dissemination, exploitation and standardization covers publishing of academic papers and book chapters and a complete book of the PERFoRM project as well as active participation in various renowned conferences, invention disclosures, patents and collaboration with standardization bodies.
