In addition to the new edition of the Digital Twin Challenge, the demonstrator will emphasize Digital Twin Enablement and the Asset Administration Shell (AAS). The demonstrator illustrates the multi-vendor approach and interoperability in synergistic projects through three specific use cases: »Engineering to Operations«, »Industrial Control as a Service« and »Automated as Built«.

The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) originally developed the project in collaboration with OI4 Alliance member companies Boehringer Ingelheim and Endress+Hauser. Other members are now involved, namely Beckhoff, Copa-Data, Flecs and Zeta. This demonstration illustrates the integration of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) under the new OI4 Architectural Guardrails. 

With the Vertical Farming Demonstrator, the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance demonstrates how manufacturers can sustainably optimize and streamline planning processes in the process industry by ensuring interoperability based on standards, such as the Asset Administration Shell as an implementation of the digital twin. This reduces manual effort, shortens the time needed for planning new facilities, and optimizes time to market.

 "The central aspect here is ensuring interoperability for data, interfaces and semantics over the entire life cycle," says Michael Riester, Head of Research & Development at Endress+Hauser, explaining the benefits that the participating companies and partners would like to emphasize in particular:

• Shorter time to market: By using the demonstrator and the consistent application of Digital Twin technology as well as the seamless integration of IT and OT, the time it takes to bring new solutions to market can be significantly reduced.
• Lower complexity and higher performance of automation systems: The multi-vendor approach and the use of interoperable components lead to a significant reduction in complexity. Instead of conventional isolated solutions, the demonstrator offers a consistent, coordinated solution that also increases the performance of the automation systems. Eliminating physical PLC/edge hardware and dispensing with conventional fieldbuses simplifies engineering and enables more efficient, scalable systems.
• Reduction of manual effort during operation: Thanks to the "as-a-Service" approach and the automation options offered by the Asset Administration Shell, manual effort during operation is significantly reduced. This not only saves working time and costs, but also minimizes sources of error that could arise from manual intervention.

»This cooperation demonstrates the scalability of OT technology, which is made possible by eliminating physical PLC/edge hardware and dispensing with classic fieldbuses. The as-a-Service approach significantly simplifies modern engineering,« explains Samuel Greising, Managing Director at Flecs.

Open Industry 4.0 Alliance at the SPS: Hall 5, Stand 160