Digitization in Production: a Use Case on a Cloud-based Manufacturing Execution System

Abstract

All types of companies, including manufacturing companies, are facing a major shift due to the influence of digitization. To fulfill the requirements of digital production, the classic hierarchical architecture of the automation pyramid will change to decentralized distributed communication participants in the cloud. This will lead to a flattening of the pyramid towards service-oriented network architectures in the cloud. The paper focuses on the necessary theoretical aspects concerning dissolution of the automation pyramid in relation to Manufacturing Execution Systems and cloud computing. The second purpose of this paper is to show, how dissolution in an industrial environment can be realized by means of a use case. This demonstrates how manufacturing companies can participate in cloud solutions for Manufacturing Execution Systems.