Hendrik Hopf

Approaches for planning and operation of adaptable factories

Adaptability is currently one of the most challenging research topics. The Department of Factory Planning and Factory Management of Chemnitz University of Technology developed the Experimental and Digital Factory in which building blocks for adaptable factory systems are integrated. Hence, a powerful model factory is available for research on adaptability. The focus among others is on the continuous interaction between factory planning and factory operation. This includes an extensive interchange and processing of information between the virtual and the real factory. The rapid implementation and verification of planning results in the real environment is enabled by holistic application and integration of different methods and tools of the Digital Factory. The paper explains a concept for adaptable factory systems and the interplay of planning and operation. The approaches are demonstrated on the use case of combined planning of layout and logistics with subsequent realisation.

Analyzing Energy Consumption for Factory and Logistics Planning Processes

Energy efficiency increasingly becomes a relevant objective in industry. Factory planning plays an important role for energy-efficient factory, production and logistics systems. The design of systems and processes in intralogistics, as an essential part of factory planning, is in the focus of this paper. Existing approaches for energy efficiency-oriented planning of logistics systems are either empirical or theoretical. The paper describes an approach combining both aspects. With the presented approach, the energy consumption of a system in a factory can be determined and evaluated systematically. As a result, energy efficiency measures are deduced and generalized. The approach provides energy data and knowledge to support analyzing and optimization activities in planning processes.

Visualization of Energy: Energy Cards Create Transparency for Energy-Efficient Factories and Processes

In the context of sustainability and for strengthening the competitiveness of manufacturing systems, energy efficiency becomes a more and more important objective for industrial processes. For designing energy-efficient systems and processes, new or improved tools and methods focusing energy efficiency are needed. Furthermore, detailed energy data, information, and knowledge are required for energy efficiency improvements. However, in practice, these are often not available in the appropriate form. This leads to the need to illustrate the issue “energy” in a tangible and visible form. Energy Management as an organizational instrument helps to consider energy efficiency in planning and operation tasks. Energy Labels are useful tools for benchmarking similar goods. Though, they are not available for different systems of a factory. The presented tool “Energy Cards” bundles energy data of a system and enables the transfer of energy information and knowledge in a structured and clear manner. In this article, the basic concept and the structure of the Energy Cards are described. In addition, some prototypes of digital cards are presented. An example on process modeling illustrates some possibilities of application.

Modeling of Energy-Efficient Factories with Flow System Theory

Energy and resource efficiency have become important objectives for industrial processes. They are taking more and more impact on the competitiveness of companies. Therefore, energy-efficient factory systems are needed in terms of sustainable production. Thus, new or improved models, methods and tools focusing energy efficiency are necessary. In this paper, the “Flow System Theory”, as a tool for modeling technical systems and processes, is presented. It is extended in order to describe the energy flow systems of factories. This is supposed to be the basis for systematic modeling of energy-efficient factory systems.

Modellierung und Optimierung von Instandhaltungsprozessen mit Sozio-Cyber-Physischen Systemen

Durch aktuelle Entwicklungen wie Industrie 4.0, Smart Factories und Cyber-Physische Systeme wird die Produktion tiefgreifend verandert. Dadurch ergeben sich vielfaltige Potenziale, jedoch auch Herausforderungen fur die Fabrikplanung und den Fabrikbetrieb. Die Instandhaltung reprasentiert ein wichtiges Gestaltungsfeld im Zusammenhang mit Sozio-Cyber-Physischen Systemen, da sie einerseits eine hohe Bedeutung fur die Prozessstabilitat in Produktionssystemen aufweist und andererseits von komplexen Arbeitstatigkeiten gepragt ist. Im Projekt S-CPS steht die Optimierung von Instandhaltungsprozessen im Vordergrund, indem verschiedene menschliche und technische Akteure in intelligenten, kollaborativen Netzwerken zusammengefuhrt werden. Der vorliegende Beitrag stellt Ansatze zur Modellierung und Bewertung der relevanten Prozesse dar, diskutiert Verbesserungspotenziale durch den Einsatz von Sozio-Cyber-Physischen Systemen in Instandhaltungsprozessen und zeigt erzielbare Effekte anhand eines prototypischen Demonstrators auf.

Beschreibung von Energieflusssystemen einer Fabrik auf Basis der Flusssystemtheorie

Kurzfassung Auf Grund knapper Ressourcen und klimapolitischer Zielstellungen haben Energie- und Ressourceneffizienz eine zunehmend hohe Bedeutung für industrielle Aktivitäten. In diesem Beitrag wird die Flusssystemtheorie, als Werkzeug zur Beschreibung technischer Systeme und Prozesse, aufgegriffen und hinsichtlich der Abbildung von Energieflusssystemen einer Fabrik untersetzt. Damit soll die Basis zur systematischen Beschreibung energieeffizienter Fabriksysteme geschaffen werden.