"We have connected all the stations at our stand and are thus demonstrating the opportunities of intelligent manufacturing in an exemplary manner," says Armin Pühringer, explaining SAP's stand concept. The Leonardo & Analytics Advisor explains the special appeal of the demo: "The challenge is to create the basis for asset management starting from product development, which also takes into account the analyses from the live data of the products and machines. The question for those responsible for production is: How can the findings from development and operation be used for continuous improvement and new software-based offerings? And how can production processes be designed more flexibly in order to be able to react better to actual physical conditions and unforeseen events? - "We want to provide answers to these questions with our showcase," says Pühringer.

Visitors can experience corresponding scenarios and processes live, implemented with a lathe from Index and driverless transport vehicles, which together represent an Open Integrated Factory. The machines and workstations are connected by driverless transport systems, exchange information and work towards each other. The intelligent units enable flexible and dynamic production, making batch size 1 production almost a matter of course. The technological basis for digitalized production are smart value-added networks and digital platforms for customer services and applications, both of which are integrated into end-to-end processes.

"Even in live operation, the digital twin remains the linchpin," says Pühringer, adding: "We show that the virtual image of the machine is available to both the manufacturer and the operator on a shared platform." The manufacturer gains valuable insights into the behavior of the component and creates impact analyses, which are immediately documented as functional requirements. Suggestions for improvement and new product ideas are therefore sent directly to product development. The manufacturer and operator always have an up-to-date overview of the machine via its digital twin: Operators can quickly and easily find out about the machines they are using, documentation or maintenance instructions. The operator also initiates spare parts orders and service ticketing directly in the system. The manufacturer, in turn, generates new revenue streams - through additional digital products and services or through business models such as full service and pay-per-use. "This is made possible by the live data from the plant," says Pühringer.