Industrie 4.0 without Model-Based Software Development

Abstract

The efficient handling of complex production systems and the implementation of a more flexible and adaptable production lies at the heart of Industry 4.0. Currently, smart manufacturing scenarios face one main bottleneck – the creation and configuration of the automation software is time-consuming and error-prone. There are two main solutions for this problem: (i) model-based software development and (ii) intelligent automation, i.e. the use of new knowledge-based solution approaches. This article compares these solutions by applying them to three phases of the life-cycle, the planning phase, the operation phase and the plant reconfiguration phase.