Migrating Engineering Tools Towards an AutomationML-Based Engineering Pipeline

Abstract

Efficient and effective engineering data exchange is increasingly considered a key success factor in the life cycle of production systems, leading to the intensified development of data logistic solutions. As small and medium-size companies (SMEs) play important roles in modern engineering organization structures, SMEs have to improve their capabilities to take part in these data logistics solutions. Unfortunately, SMEs have strong human and financial resource limitations. In this paper, we introduce a modular and easy-to-use data logistics architecture that aims at enabling SMEs to implement proof-of-concept software structures, applicable to validate benefits and challenges of data logistic solutions. This data logistics architecture provides a migration path towards the full participation of SMEs in data logistic solutions for engineering data exchange. We demonstrate the application of the architecture on use cases in automotive, steel, and machining industries.