March 12, 2019

Smart Safety: Safety for modular production plants at run time

SmartFactoryKL presents a “Smart Safety” concept at the Hannover Messe
AI minimizes safety risk at modular units

The safety concept is designed to protect people from the risk associated with manufacturing jobs. Increasingly complex, modular Industrie 4.0 production plants demand a new safety concept. Thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI), it is now possible to make modular work stations much safer. The SmartFactoryKL partner consortium shows how to use AI to minimize the safety risk for Industrie 4.0 production plants at the Hannover Messe on April 1-5, 2019. Learn more at the joint exhibit stand of SmartFactoryKL and German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) located in hall 8, booth D18.

The safety policies must adapt to the flexible processes of the modular plant. The production processes in Industrie 4.0 plants often vary because of the various lot sizes – often at lot size 1. The safety of the production staff is of utmost importance and new policies must be implemented. AI provides an ideal solution to the challenge of minimizing the safety risk at modular work stations. Risks can be detected and the appropriate risk minimization measures can be initiated by adaptive AI algorithms.

“Artificial intelligence helps reduce the safety risk associated with modular work units. In the more complex Industrie 4.0 production plants of the future, such a smart safety concept will be necessary as today’s strict safety policies will no longer be adequate for the flexible factories of the future,” said Prof. Dr. Martin Ruskowski, Department Head of Innovative Factory Systems research at DFKI and expert in the use of AI for manufacturing.

Automatic certification of modular work stations

Every equipment manufacturer must provide a declaration of conformity confirming that the unit can manage all hazard scenarios and that the minimum safety requirements are met. In the future, confirming this conformity quickly after each conversion of a modular plant, will require a modular certification concept that checks the entire network of linked systems.

AI algorithms can automatically perform the certification process for the interfaces between two production stations. Using smart software, so called safety agents, will reduce the complexity of the interfaces between linked units. The safety agent checks various scenarios to determine, for example, whether there is a mechanical or a chemical risk. If the risk is negligible, a safety certificate is prepared and the production can continue – avoiding long downtimes in the truest sense of Plug & Produce.

Use Case: Integrated Flexible Transport System for Module Safety

A flexible transport system (FTS) is included in the safety concept of the SmartFactoryKL Industrie 4.0 production plant. In the event that the FTS moves into the zone of a production line, it is automatically assigned to that unit and, consequently, also to the associated emergency stop circuit. Similarly, instead of the transport system, another module component could also be flexibly exchanged and automatically certified by AI.

“The advantage of this solution is the significant reduction in downtime after a plant conversion, because the most expensive and time consuming decisions about plant safety are now performed by artificial intelligence. We demonstrate automatic certification at our exhibit stand,” said Prof. Dr. Detlef Zühlke, Chairman of the Board of SmartFactoryKL.

Use Case: Smart Vision Systems for Safety Checks

When a signal comes from the FTS that it has arrived at the docking station, the workpiece carrier moves forward on the conveyor belt of the Industrie 4.0 production plant at the SmartFactoryKL However, at this point there is no official confirmation from the safety system that the signal actually came from the FTS and there may be a risk if the workpiece carrier moves. Eventually, the workpiece carrier could fall off the belt and disrupt the process in the long term.

A smart vision system uses a camera to check the interface between the docking station and the FTS, for example, looking for the correct orientation of the conveyor belts. The optical data is evaluated by agent systems. If the FTS is correctly positioned, the safety certificate is created and the process is released – the conveyor belt with the workpiece carrier starts to advance.

This use case is visualized using colored light installations. If the vision system has not performed a final risk check, a flashing light on the FTS is activated. After checking for safety risk and confirming the certificate, the FTS becomes part of the safety circuit of the respective production line and the flashing light changes to reflect the corresponding color of the line. Only then the workpiece carrier can approach the FTS.

The Industrie 4.0 demonstrator partners at SmartFactoryKL are: B&R Automation, Bosch Rexroth, EPLAN Software & Service, Festo, HARTING, Huawei, IBM, KIST Europe, METTLER TOLEDO, MiniTec, PHOENIX CONTACT, Pilz, proALPHA, TÜV SÜD, and Weidmüller

KI kann in der Produktion eingesetzt werden, um die Sicherheitsrisiken von modularen Anlagen zu minimieren. Diesen Use Case zeigt die SmartFactoryKL auf der Hannover Messe 2019. Foto: SmartFactoryKL/A.Sell — AI is used in manufacturing to minimize the safety risks of modular work units. This Use Case is demonstrated on the SmartFactoryKL at the Hannover Messe 2019. Photo: SmartFactoryKL/A.Sell

Photo Download Link: https://cloud.dfki.de/owncloud/index.php/s/aQM8q92eqXXMr8C

A smart vision system is used to check the safety at the production modules (stations). The optical data is evaluated by agent systems and a safety certificate is automatically created. Photo: SmartFactoryKL/A. Sell

Future production needs new business concepts

SmartFactoryKL launches workshops with member companies
Business impulses to drive implementation of Production Level 4

The production of tomorrow continues to take on ever more concrete forms in Kaiserslautern. Demonstrators at three locations work together in a shared production environment. The systems rest on a foundation of skill-based modules, industrial edge cloud concepts, artificial intelligence methods, and digital platforms. In the future, machines and software will be available for rent or lease, i.e., “Companies as a Service.” Technology is constantly providing new answers, but one question usually remains open: What do the appropriate business concepts look like?

The path to Production Level 4 is paved with many elements
The vision of Production Level 4 (PL4), the major update of Industrie 4.0, assumes that companies in the future will build customized production lines to enable the profitable manufacture of even small batch sizes. On the foreseeable horizon, central tasks will be performed by so-called production bots (software agents). For example, the bots will search digital platforms to put together the necessary processing steps and select the appropriate means of production (hardware or software). While doing this, they can consider various criteria like energy efficiency, production schedules, and transport routes. “Technically, that is all possible, but how does it ultimately make money?” asked Prof. Martin Ruskowski, Chairman of the Executive Board of SmartFactoryKL (SF-KL). Currently, SF-KL is working with partners to develop AI solutions that will be available to SMEs as a service. “To date, no concrete method exists for a company to offer a service or for another company to use it,” said Ruskowski. Transactions could be processed through an annual subscription or invoiced on a case-by-case basis. But so far, these ideas are only proposals. SmartFactoryKL is determined to fill this void.

SMEs are interested in artificial intelligence services

SF-KL leads a consortium at the SME Digital Center Kaiserslautern (MDZ), which advises SMEs and supports their digitalization projects. “We are experiencing strong demand for artificial intelligence services – for example, for quality control – but when asked about the costs, we find it difficult to answer,” said Jonas Metzger, Head of MDZ. He added, “There is just no universally applicable, practical answer on the market.” Consequently, SmartFactoryKL is working on “federated (collaborative) learning” with member organizations. The complexity of this topic was made clear by the experts in a recent SmartFactoryKL Live stream broadcast. The term describes a machine learning technique that trains an algorithm across multiple decentralized edge devices. Each participating device (server) holds its own local data sets, without exchanging them. In this way, company secrets are protected as the local datasets are not uploaded to one server and the AI gets “smarter” with every use. This is exactly what leads to the question regarding cost structure. The fact that AI is learning something new with every order means that it becomes more and more valuable as a product. This would have to be included in a price calculation. Tatjana Legler, project manager for TU Kaiserslautern, clarified this issue by asking these questions: “How much has the customer contributed to the improvement of the AI? How much more does the next customer benefit from the higher quality AI skills and how can these be captured financially?”

SmartFactory-KL announces workshop for business concepts

“Today, we must not only provide the impulse for technology transfer, we must also push the development of innovative business ideas. That is only logical. We want to initiate the discussion, not implement any one idea,” said Ruskowski. The SmartFactoryKL management board has now agreed that the workshops will be seen as important milestones in the step-by-step process of making the Production Level 4 (PL4) vision a practical reality. “PL4 aims for resilience and sustainability. Many are already excited about that,” said Ruskowski. “Now we want to show how our ideas can also be used to make money. That is what convinces many more decision makers.”

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SmartFactory Kaiserslautern and Industrial Digital Twin Association formalize cooperation

Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Hannover Messe
Implementing sustainability digitally in the production of tomorrow

Both organizations have the goal of merging sustainability and digitalization to advance climate protection in industry. This goal is the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding between the technology initiative SmartFactory KL and the Industrial Digital Twin Association (IDTA). The official signing is scheduled to take place at 12:00 noon on 6/1/22, in a small ceremony at the SmartFactoryKL stand at the Hannover Messe 2022 (Hall 8, D 18).

Implementing sustainable production
The digital twin – on the basis of the asset administrative shell (AAS) – plays a key role in developing the production of tomorrow. Prof. Martin Ruskowski, Chairman of the Executive Board of SmartFactoryKL, believes that products and machines will someday be capable of active communication. “Much of their data will be provided via their administrative shell, including properties and skills as well as information on energy consumption and their carbon footprint.”
According to Meik Billmann, managing director of IDTA, “Over the lifecycle the digital twin opens a whole range of new possibilities for accessing and processing data from a wide range of sources. For example, it becomes much easier to calculate emissions and power consumption for machines and plant systems.”

Active partnerships
Both partners are actively involved in the development and implementation of use cases. “The cooperation with SmartFactory Kaiserslautern offers us the opportunity to exchange our research findings. The result is a win for all association members and cooperation partners,” said Billmann. One thing is certain at both organizations: The digital transformation is an important tool for the de-carbonization of industry. The shared goal is to raise awareness in the manufacturing industry for the ideas of production cycles and resource conservation. The technical know-how for implementing a digital twin is being disseminated toward this end. “In Kaiserslautern, we are building a shared production facility designed for resilience and sustainability,” said Martin Ruskowski. “The administrative shell plays a key role in skill-based production, whereas, in the context of Industrie 4.0, this always refers to digital twins.”

Ecological balance through digital twins
“Our first use cases already show how the implementation of a digital nameplate can be successful. SmartFactoryKL demonstrates how extending the digital nameplate can lead to even greater possibilities. Through our cooperation, we want to explore these possibilities together,” said Meik Billman. “We want to combine various elements of the digital twins in our demonstrator ecosystem: the digital image of a machine and its skills/capabilities, as well as the entire product history in the form of a life cycle file. IDTA is the ideal partner for us to transfer our findings to industry,” added Martin Ruskowski.

Hannover Messe is an appropriate setting
One main focus at Hannover Messe 2022 is on sustainability: “For us, this was an obvious venue to choose for our MoU signing ceremony,” said Meik Billmann.

Date: Wednesday, Hannover Messe June 1, 2022, Hall 8, Stand D 18.

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