Plug & Produce
Just plug it in and get started. The Plug & Produce concept from Lenze SE and FORWARDttc shows how even today, changeover time can be significantly reduced when changing the configuration of the production line - without the high manual effort of configuration and programming.
Automated Configuration
Frequent configuration changes of production lines are complicated and labour-intensive: A new setup leads to a new product, so that infeed and Pick & Place modules must be replaced, the Packaging and Palletizer remain usable, but due to a new format, the Outfeed module also requires an alternative.
The aim of the Plug & Produce concept is to relieve the end user by eliminating the manual work steps up to resumption of production, including programming of the controller, integration into the HMI, diagnostics and commissioning - in short: automated configuration. To this end, open, cross-manufacturer standards should enable the machine modules involved to exchange data with each other and to interact fully in the course of the production job.
Controller Application
Tools
In close cooperation with Lenze SE, FORWARDttc has developed a platform-independent controller application that guides step-by-step through the automated configuration of the production line.
To illustrate the relationships between the moderation phase (recipe selection), configuration phase (reconfiguration, capability check) and production phase, a UI/UX system including messaging service and error management was developed.
In addition to cross-module and cross-controller communication for data exchange with the application, digital twins were visualized for the individual machine modules, which together form a virtual production chain.
Showcase in Hanover
Advantages
Lenze SE presented the Plug & Produce Showcase for the first time at the Hanover Fair 2019 as a simulation of a packaging line for various products using different mechatronic modules.
Visitors were shown impressively that consistent modularisation using standards such as OPC UA and PackML is already possible today.
Using the virtual production chain, the digital twins allow immediate validation of the automated configuration and the implemented messaging and error management system leads to a better traceability of the cross-control communication.
