The Institute of Databases and Information Systems illustrates Industry 4.0 scenarios with the DBIS Factory – a plant simulation based on a Fischertechnik construction kit.

Each single component of DBIS Factory can be individually programmed, which enables the realization and simulation of sophisticated production scenarios. The simulation plant comprises four stations: The first station is equipped with a conveyor belt with color recognition sensors in order to allow sorting different input items. At the second station, the process step ‘heating’ can be simulated. Then, in the third station the items are moved with a vacuum gripper arm to a high-bay warehouse (i.e., the fourth station).  Sensor data and produced quantities are transmitted via a machone communciation protocol (OPC UA) to a central computer.

The DBIS Factory allows for the full digitization of production processes. The latter are controlled by a process management system, which orchestrates and monitors the various process steps to be performed at the different plant stations. In particular, processes are not implemented in a rigid manner, but may be dynamically evolved during their execution, depending on the current production context.

The DBIS Factory not only illustrates basic principles of a flexible digital process control, but allows for the simulation of other Industry 4.0 use cases as well. First, DBIS Factory comprises a machine learning component enabling advanced analyses of machine and production data. Second, it enables a self-regulatory control of the plant. Finally, a process-centric interaction with different plant components becomes possible, e.g., to simulate service and maintenance processes.

Altogether, with DBIS Factory students obtain profound insights into Industry 4.0 as well as digital production processes – valuable know-how they can apply in specific DBIS projects with partners from industry (e.g., machine manufacturers).

An impression of the DBIS Factory is provided by a video on the DBIS video channel.