Towards information management support in test and piloting of complex mechatronic systems: An industry case study

Abstract

Engineering and testing of mechatronic systems is expected to be heavily impacted by Industry 4.0 and big data, which transform the classic hier archical information model into decentralized, distributed services. However, it is not sufficient to collect and process big volumes of data in order to realize the expected benefits of Industry 4.0. Industry companies have to establish appro priate interfaces and integration strategies with their established engineering processes and the related information systems. In this paper we present our expe riences and the enterprise system infrastructure we developed for test and piloting of complex mechatronic systems at a large engineering and manufacturing company. The implemented solution has become a backbone for systems engi neering and is frequently used by various stakeholders. Furthermore, we describe how we extend the approach by integrating data from machinery in the field to ensure “end-to-end digital integration” that provides feedback for the construction and testing of new systems.