How can production plants be safely and flexibly converted in terms of “plug & produce”? The answer is: with the help of an advanced modular safety concept, which we will present at Hannover Messe.

Modular certification is possible from plant to component level and it significantly reduces the downtime in plant conversions. The solution can be seen at the joint exhibit stand of SmartFactoryKL and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence in Hall 8, Stand D18.

Use Case: Flexible transport system integrated with modular safety

The flexible transport system (FTS) is now included in the modular safety concept of the SmartFactoryKL Industrie 4.0 facility for the first time. When the FTS moves into the zoned area of a production line, it is automatically assigned to this section of the plant and, consequently, also to this emergency stop loop. The use case clearly demonstrates the practical advantages of the extended safety concept for modular production systems: for example, instead of the FTS, a module component may be flexibly exchanged and automatically certified. The only requirement is for an existing safety profile for this component to be available.

Controlling modular certification via the cloud

The SmartFactoryKL facility demonstrates an additional innovation: the extended safety concept is now controlled in real time in the cloud via standard 5G wireless communication. This enables the deterministic communication required for certification. A digital twin of all modules is stored in the cloud along with various safety parameters. If a new module configuration is set up, a comparison is carried out with the aid of IT-based scenarios. If the configuration is already known to be safe, the conformity of the new configuration is confirmed.

Further information here.