Modular certification is thus possible from system to component level and significantly reduces downtimes when converting systems. This implementation can be seen at the joint stand of SmartFactory-KL and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) in Hall 8, Stand D18.

Every system manufacturer must submit a declaration of conformity and thus confirm that all hazard scenarios of their system have been mastered and that the minimum safety requirements have been met. With a modular system of the future, conformity can only be confirmed quickly after each conversion process if a modular certification concept has the various system variants tested in advance. If a system configuration that has already been certified in advance in the sense of Plug & Produce is selected, long downtimes can be avoided.

Use case: Flexible transport system integrated into modular safety
The flexible transport system (FTS) is integrated into the modular safety concept of the SmartFactory-KL Industry 4.0 system for the first time. If the AGV moves into the zone area of a production line, it is automatically assigned to this part of the system and consequently also to this emergency stop loop. The use case clearly demonstrates the advantage of the extended safety concept for modular production systems in practice: instead of the transport system, for example, a modular component could be replaced just as flexibly and certified automatically; all that is required is that a safe profile is already available for this component.

Controlling modular certification via the cloud
The SmartFactory-KL system has an additional innovation: the extended safety concept is now controlled in real time in the cloud via the 5G wireless communication standard. This enables the deterministic communication required for certification. A digital image (digital twin) of all modules is available in the cloud, in which various safety parameters are defined. If a new module configuration is put together, the comparison with the stored scenarios is IT-supported. If the configuration created is already known to be safe, the conformity of the new configuration is confirmed.

"The advantage of this solution is that downtimes are significantly reduced after the system conversion, as the usually complex and time-consuming decision-making processes relating to the safety time of the system are now taken over by artificial intelligence. We will be demonstrating the concept of this automatic certification in the cloud at our trade fair stand," says Prof. Dr. Detlef Zühlke, CEO of SmartFactory-KL.