Design and Installation of an Agent-Controlled Cyber-Physical Production System Using the Example of a Beverage Bottling Plant

Abstract

The design of production plants in the form of a cyber-physical production system (CPPS) promises rapid adaptability to changing market requirements, high flexibility during production, and robust behavior in the event of failure and offers the possibility of integrating customers into the production process. In contradiction to these advantages, there are both a low penetration and a still low technology readiness level of operational CPPS. This article, therefore, presents a production system for customized beverage bottling, consisting of industrial resources from well-known machine builders and designed as a CPPS through the use of a multiagent system. The premise that all products are to be manufactured in a saleable form should clarify the claim of the CPPS to be classified as an industrial plant. Its functionality is tested through an evaluation based on two use cases with different requirements. This conceptual proof should enable the future practice-oriented investigation of urgent questions from research and industry. As a further result, a complete test method for the development and commissioning of a CPPS, starting with the design phase and ending with a valid reliable production system, is shown.