Interface Integration Challenges in Future Flexible Manufacturing Systems

Abstract

In future, the free flow of information and data from the device level to higher company information systems is growingly important and by supporting them the automation system deliverers can achieve significant advantages on the market. A Finnish company delivers Flexible Manufacturing Systems that will set as a central part in the customer’s information systems. This means that the FMS has to be able to integrate to third party systems and machines seamlessly for being able to convey the information freely. The objective of this thesis is to find out how the interfaces between the machines and information systems should be implemented in order to be ready for the challenges set by the near future of manufacturing. This thesis discusses newest integration standards that are important in the scope of Flexible Manufacturing Systems. As an outcome, OPC UA solutions together with other standards are proposed to support the interface standardization. OPC UA solutions are coming to many systems that need to be connected also to FMS, so FMS needs to be ready for adopting this standard. For this reason also a pilot project is specified to adopt OPC UA standard together with other standards in practice.