Shorter innovation cycles and the individualization of products are leading to smaller batch sizes and thus to a high variance of parts in production. The necessary machine capacities must flexibly and on short notice available, and the skilled workers required for production must be deployed efficiently. This requires increased organizational efforts and increasing automation in order to remain profitable and competitive. The solution to these challenges lies in the use of production control systems.
Flexible production systems usually consist of conventional machining/special machines and storage/retrieval stations as well as storage areas that are used for intermediate storage and bridging unmanned shifts. Robots or pallet transport devices take over the automated provision of the workpieces. The production processes are controlled by a control system, which is an independent component of the system.
In the course of the 4th industrial revolution, digitalization is becoming increasingly important. Increasing market volatility, the shortage of skilled workers, competition for the most cost-effective production, the wealth of data generated and its protection and security are just a few of the challenges facing the digitalization of production. In this environment, flexible production systems and the associated control systems are more relevant than ever.
The question seems simple. The answer should be just as simple. After all, a potential customer needs this information for their budget planning. However, a blanket answer to this question is almost impossible. Why? Because the number of tasks that a control system can solve varies enormously. A control system is not a single software product, but a cooperating swarm of microservices. Each microservice solves a specific task. With each task solved, the benefits of the control system grow, but so does the complexity of the solution and therefore the price.