How does this project fit with the strategy?

Why are we doing this?

Problem statement

The current developments in production logistics - generally discussed under the terms of digitisation or Industry 4.0 - will have a considerable impact on the working and living world of the future. Key elements of this change are so-called "cyber-physical systems ", i.e. the integration of IT systems into physical devices.

Impact of this problem

The technical complexity of these systems, however, makes access difficult for non-technical, especially business management courses of study, although the topic is of great relevance to these in particular. Pure software simulations of such systems are very complex to realize, didactically difficult to use and convey the character of digitization in production only very abstractly and thus often incomplete.

How do we judge success?

At the end of the 2020/21 winter semester, a report will be prepared on the extent to which the objectives have been achieved or on work still outstanding. This concerns in particular the operation and documentation of the hardware simulation on the FRA-UAS and the availability of at least one learning bar learning module, an instructional video and various learning nuggets on the Moodle of the FRA-UAS or the DigLL portal. Students also compile reflection diaries to accompany the learning process and fill out an evaluation at the end of the course on the satisfaction of the teaching concept, competence promotion and learning success.

What are possible solutions?

The project comprises the design and implementation of a hardware simulation model with four autonomous workstations (e. g. A "milling", B "painting", ...) as cyber-physical production systems.

The workstations are based on Fischertechnik training models and can be positioned anywhere in four fields on a carrier module (approx. 100 cm x 80 cm). This results in the grid of a so-called "flexible cell production", as it is forced in practice for Industry 4.0 scenarios. An autonomous, self-propelled transportation system handles the material flows between the stations. In addition, a high-bay warehouse or existing Fischertechnik Simulation Factory can be connected. The plant is equipped with cameras that allow the processes to be transmitted to other locations. Thus, different, independent didactic concepts can be implemented:

• "Experimental On-Site." In group or project work, teams of three to six students work on case studies and open questions, developing solution hypotheses from them, which they confirm or falsify experimentally "on-site" at the plant. The flexible layout of the plant allows, for example, to investigate logistical issues of route, warehouse and process optimization. Larger groups are divided up in such a way that the teams work on the system on a rolling basis, while the others go through input or reflection phases.
• "Interdisciplinary and cross-location": The extensive data generated during the operation of the plant is made available to the universities. This allows interdisciplinary problems from business administration, computer science and data science to be investigated (e.g. the topics "vertical integration", "predictive maintenance" and "big data"). The possibility to follow the process via video transmission allows for cross-location laboratory formats, e.g. locally distributed production planning and execution.
• "Off-site and online": Short video recordings of the case studies, interactive learning objects (e.g. as H5P content) and self-contained learning modules (e.g. learning bar) are to be used for the learning and reflection phase. Thus, videos establish the reality of the tasks, interactive explanations of the system are offered by means of "virtual tours", and "drag-and-drop" H5P content is used to repeat important concepts and to secure results. Completed learning modules on "Industry 4.0" or "Vertical Integration with ERP Systems" can be used both "on-site" and "off-site".

What do we already know?

What do we need to answer?

What are we doing?

• IT-Solution to control hardware
• Hardware to simulate operation
• At least on "Lernbar"-teaching unit, a video and other learning nuggets based on moodle and made available for DigLL site

Why will a customer want this?

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