Mathworks for virtualizing production How “Model-based Design” is used in Software Defined Factories
October 18, 2024 A guest article by Philipp Wallner, Industry Manager Industrial Automation & Machinery from MathWorks 3 min reading time
Providers on the topic
As part of the “SPS” trade fair in Nuremberg, Mathworks will show how developers use “model-based design” with “Matlab” and “Simulink” to develop software-defined functions using models and apps, test them in a simulation and via code generation to industrial controls, edge devices and cloud platforms.
3D modeled example of a material transport route with two robot arms.
(Bild: Mathworks)
Software is already the core element in mechanical and plant engineering today. “In the future, there will be more and more ‘software defined functionality’ in production – i.e. functions that run on PLCs or other industrial controls, edge devices and in the cloud, define machine processes and are continuously expanded with new modules. Philipp Wallner, Industry Manager Industrial Automation & Machinery at Mathworksexplains: “The implementation of entire ‘Software Defined Factories’ is now within reach.”
Due to the increasing amount of code, both the complexity and the requirements for software quality are increasing rapidly. Mathworks shows on the SPSwhich takes place from November 12th to 14th, will show how developers use “model-based design” with Matlab and Simulink to develop “software defined functionality” using models and apps, comprehensively test it in simulation and use code generation Bring industrial controls, edge devices and cloud platforms from common manufacturers. The focus is on applications relating to artificial intelligence (“Industrial AI”), virtual commissioning, robotics and “visual inspection”, which the experts from MathWorks will present at the trade fair. With the help of model-based development and the associated automation, MathWorks helps companies counteract the shortage of skilled workers.
Virtual commissioning for quality assurance of industrial software
The factory of the future will be built twice – once virtually in the “Industrial Metaverse” and once physically. This means that the increasingly complex “Software Defined Functionality” can be tested at an early stage and gradually expanded to include new functionalities.
Norbert Ulshöfer, Application Engineering Manager at Mathworks, says: “The mechatronic components of the system are modeled in the form of physically correct simulation models and displayed in a 3D view.” The basis for this is the CAD drawings from the mechanical design, which are in Simulation environments such as Simulink and “Simscape” from Mathworks can be imported. This means that the machine software can be verified using virtual commissioning at a time when the system has not yet been set up.
The automated generation of C/C++ or IEC 61131-3 code from the simulation models, which has been available for years for all common industrial control and edge platforms and is constantly being further developed in close collaboration with the relevant hardware manufacturers, eliminates programming errors and further shortens the development time. This means that mechanical engineers can concentrate entirely on designing new functions and implementing them in an agile manner for the machines and systems.
“Industrial AI” on industrial controls and edge devices
AI-based functions – for example for predictive maintenance, anomaly detection or visual inspection – are increasingly finding their way into mechanical and plant engineering. To do this, it is not only necessary to train the corresponding models using different methods for machine learning or deep learning and based on data measured on the system. At least as important is the validation of the models by mechanical engineering experts and the subsequent implementation of the functionality on embedded, edge or cloud platforms.
On the one hand, this ensures that the domain knowledge built up over many years flows into the AI-based machine software and, on the other hand, that it can be used 24/7 in industrial use. Rainer Mümmler, Principal Application Engineer at Mathworks, explains this at the SPS in his presentation “Error classification in industrial systems on Siemens Edge devices” and shows a workflow for improving error classification in “predictive maintenance” applications in industrial systems.
Additional functionality for automation components
It’s not just machines and entire production systems that benefit from the increasing proportion of software functions. Components for automation, such as electric drives and industrial robots, are also becoming more and more “software-defined”.
New functionalities, for example for improved drive controllers or optimized movement trajectories, are developed in Simulink and tested on real-time hardware from Speedgoat. This enables shorter design cycles and more innovative functions.
Philipp Wallner, Industry Manager Industrial Automation & Machinery at MathWorks
(Bild: MathWorks)
“Model-based design” as a pioneer for software defined factories
Model-based development or “model-based design” is the key to the methods described above for the virtual commissioning of machines and systems, for the automated creation and verification of control code, and for the development of AI functions for industrial use. In doing so, it paves the way for the software defined factory of the future.
More information is available on the SPS trade fairwhich takes place in Nuremberg. There, at booth 215 in Hall 6, Mathworks will cover topics such as virtual assembly lines, AI-assisted visual inspection on PLCs, error classification on edge devices, model-based designs for production, motion control prototyping and PLC testing with digital twins.
As of October 30, 2020
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