An Application-Oriented Cyber-Physical Production Optimisation System Architecture for the Steel Industry

The new generation of steelworks shaped by Industry 4.0 are digitized, networked, flexible and adaptable. Production processes use distributed information and communication structures, are more autonomous and capable to react to dynamic evolutions of the environment. Cyber-physical systems are a fundamental component of Industry 4.0 and enable new generation of smart processes. This paper presents a modular architecture approach for the design of cyber-physical steel production processes. The approach is tested within a production facility for long products such as rails or tubes taking into account the main peculiarities of the sector. The use of an industrial-agent-based solution for enabling intelligent capabilities and interactions among cyber-physical modules is investigated and adopted. Experimental results highlight the industrial applicability of the adopted implementation scheme combining agent-based technology with the proper connection between models, communication and optimsation methods.