Integration of an MES and AIV Using a LabVIEW Middleware Scheduler Suitable for Use in Industry 4.0 Applications

Abstract

Industry 4.0 uses the analysis of real-time data, artificial intelligence, automation, and the interconnection of components of the production lines to improve manufacturing efficiency and quality. Manufacturing Execution Systems (MESs) and Autonomous Intelligent Vehicles (AIVs) are key elements of Industry 4.0 implementations. An MES connects, monitors, and controls data flows on the factory floor, while automation is achieved by using AIVs. The Robot Operating System (ROS) built AIVs are targeted here. To facilitate MES and AIV interactions, there is a need to integrate the MES and the AIVs to help in building an automated and interconnected manufacturing environment. This integration needs middleware, which understands both MES and AIVs. To address this issue, a LabVIEW-based scheduler is proposed here as the middleware. LabVIEW communicates with the MES through webservices and has support for ROS. The main task of the scheduler is to control the AIV based on MES requests. The scheduler developed was tested in a real factory environment using the SAP MES and a Robotnik ‘RB-1′ robot. The scheduler interface provides real-time information about the current status of the MES, AIV, and the current stage of scheduler processing. The proposed scheduler provides an efficient automated product delivery system that transports the product from process cell to process cell using the AIV, based on the production sequences defined by the MES. In addition, using the proposed scheduler, integration of an MES is possible with any low-cost ROS-built AIV.

Middleware Application, Suitable to Build an Automated and Connected Smart Manufacturing Environment

“…This work provides the foundation to develop a software application to control mobile-robots that can be used to integrate a fleet of mobile-robots to the MES system. Direct communication between MES and the mobile-robots is not possible that's why we introduced the middleware LabVIEW application and presented this idea in [17], which summary is given below.…”

“…Previously presented work [17] emphases on the integration of an MES and AIV that is needed to develop a completely automated, connected smart manufacturing environment. This integration requires a middleware application to execute the command translations between MES and AIVs.…”

Personalization of the MES System to the Needs of Highly Variable Production

“…In general, it can be mentioned that these contributions, as in the case of the whole Industry 4.0, are located in the following types of industries: aerospace, automobile, iron and steel and petrochemical [ 47 ]. More recently, research has entered the next stage of development i.e., autonomous intelligent vehicles are combined with MES in order to build an even more up-to-date and significant—from the Industry 4.0 perspective—automated and interconnected manufacturing environment [ 48 ].…”