Concept and application of autonomous Industry 4.0 components based on agent-based approaches

The development of decentralized production systems and networks poses new challenges for production engineering with regard to controlling the complexity and the realization of a continuous availability of individual entities. In addition to the classic approaches in control technology, such as control systems, autonomous control systems are becoming increasingly relevant. These contribute to the reduction of complexity and enabling of decentralized processes. Thus, within the framework of the Industry 4.0 initiative, approaches are being investigated that use digital representations by means of asset administration shells for autonomous decision-making and independent coordination. The proposed approach combines asset administration shells and agent architectures with the goal of creating autonomous Industry 4.0 components. The presented concept is demonstrated using typical application examples from wireless device communication in industrial automation and forestry. While in forestry the decentralized nature of the processes and stakeholders, the complexity of the interactions, and the lack of networking pose particular challenges for the realization of a digital production infrastructure, radio resources, device networks, and process flows must be coordinated when using radio-based communication in industrial automation.