Automation 4.0

The fourth industrial revolution places a number of additional demands on the design and automation of processing machines. Digitalization and automation are making products and their manufacturing processes not only more sophisticated, but also more individual. Growing demands on availability, logistics, quality and extreme price sensitivity are not leaving the production environment unscathed. This book analyses the challenges and provides meaningful examples of solution scenarios for effective production in the age of Industry 4.0.

Automation 4.0 shows readers how the requirements of Industry 4.0 may be projected onto known design principles. The resulting functions are illustrated using real-life examples from industry to create a roadmap for drawing up a specification sheet for the design of a versatile processing machine. Numerous practical examples illustrate the modular, function- and object-oriented design of individual machines and systems as a solution for increasing efficiency throughout their entire life cycle. To this end, a procedure for the design of versatile machines based on object- and function-oriented modularization is presented and illustrated and elaborated step by step on the basis of the requirements.

This book presents solution strategies that address the additional demands of modularization on the structure and component selection of automation systems flexibly, sustainably and with minimal engineering effort. These include aspects of real-time capability as well as machine safety and the selection of a suitable fieldbus, human-machine communication and the ability to interact in digital production. Finally, the topics of AI-supported quality assurance, simulation and digital twins are also addressed and the current state of research on the interaction of Industry 4.0 components is conveyed.

The book offers a comprehensive overview of the development of sustainable machines, particularly in terms of cost-effectiveness for very small batch sizes. It is not only for students of automation technology and mechatronics, but also for industrial, development and design engineers.