Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT
Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT
virtual cloud hologram over futuristic server room
© Syda Productions/stock.adobe.com

© Syda Productions/stock.adobe.com

IT test environment for companies

The fourth industrial revolution confronts the automation technology with new challenges in communication and data processing: Emerging technologies such as Big Data, Artificial Intelligence or the Digital Twin require a reliable and industry-compliant digital infrastructure. This is the basis for resilient, secure data exchange and reliable data processing. Through communication technologies like TSN and 5G, IT and OT systems can be connected without violating the strict requirements of production. The use of cloud systems opens up new potential in production technology, which is not possible with conventional automation systems.

Together with its research partner German Edge Cloud, the Fraunhofer IPT has developed the Fraunhofer Edge Cloud, an open IT test environment for research and industry. The Fraunhofer Edge Cloud is a production-oriented cloud system that can be tested and used for versatile industrial applications. With the possibility of individual adaptation to the respective use cases, all advantages of a cloud can be implemented in a secure and production-oriented environment.

One industrial use case that has already been tested is the creation of a sensor cloud data pipeline. Here, the sensor data recorded in a milling process is sent directly to the Fraunhofer Edge Cloud. Specially developed cloud services are used to analyze and interpret the data. Thus, the processing of the data is completely mapped in the cloud. The services can be started, stopped or updated dynamically without interrupting the process.

Our service

  • Building data pipelines from your production to the cloud
  • Recommendations for action in the digitization of your production
  • Processing of research and development projects

 

Applications

Process monitoring

Private cloud systems offer not only increased data security but also the possibility of individual configuration. Thus, local cloud systems can be optimized for the execution of real-time applications. In process monitoring, deterministic execution of the software is crucial.

Robot control

Real-time transmission of commands is essential for the control of robots in production. With TSN, such real-time communication can be established up to the cloud.

Modular Edge devices

The integration of cloud systems in production usually fails due to a lack of hardware or heterogeneous interfaces of machines and systems. Modular edge devices can map the required interfaces and create a link to cloud systems.

Projects

ICNAP

In a preliminary study within ICNAP, the outsourcing of real-time capable applications to the cloud was investigated.

5GSMART

In the EU project 5G-SMART, a data pipeline and cloud services for processing sensor data were developed. Here, the sensor data is transmitted via 5G and the cloud is integrated into the process monitoring of the application.

5G-COMET

The use of convergent wired networks in production is possible through the use of TSN. In the 5G-Comet project, the use of TSN functionalities via 5G is being researched. Thus, wireless deterministic communication is also possible.