Smart factory and education: An integrated automation concept

Abstract

The introduction of cyber physical systems into production companies is highly changing working conditions and processes as well as business models. In practice a growing discrepancy between big and small respectively medium-sized companies can be observed. Bridging that gap a university smart factory is introduced to give that companies a platform to trial, educate employees and access consultancy. Realizing the smart factory a highly integrated, open and standardized automation concept is shown comprising single devices, production lines up to a higher automation system maintaining a community or business models.