Voestalpine Use Case

The challenge

The products required by customers vary in size and shape and can only be machined on machinery providing the necessary capabilities, which also vary on other factors such as tools. Therefore, highly flexible production planning and scheduling, also depending on the current machine state and manufacturing utilities, is needed.

The vision of the future process

A new shopfloor modelling approach will facilitate the integration of ERP- and machine capability as well as current configuration status data into a product, process, and resource model. Based on this a reconfiguration mechanism will be adopted, which allows a flexible flow of products through the factory. Errors will be detected through sensors and assessed through case-based reasoning. If necessary, measures for reconfiguration will be suggested. For disruptions coming from the supply chain, the resilience toolbox will allow the evaluation of missing capabilities and the need for reconfiguration. The resulting flexible and agile matrix production will enable the reconfiguration of the manufacturing process during production.

Involved project partners

• CONTACT Software GmbH (Germany)
• Technische Universität Darmstadt (Germany)
• Technische Universität Wien (Austria)