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PhD Thesis

Exploration and Application of Choreography Principles in Industrial Automation

Welcome to the additional appendix and example code for my submitted PhD thesis "Exploration and Application of Choreography Principles in Industrial Automation" at the Helmut Schmidt University / University of the German Federal Armed Forces Hamburg.

My name is Andreas Stutz and I am a researcher and innovator for software-defined plant automation at Siemens Process Automation. With creativity and initiative, I shape the transformation while bringing people and technologies together.

Feel free to contact me for feedback, comments or questions regarding my research work:
- LinkedIn
- ResearchGate

Motivational Citation

Ideas in and of themselves have very little value. The value of an invention lies in its practical implementation.
--- Werner von Siemens to his brother Carl, January 27, 1865

Abstract

This dissertation examines the application of choreography principles in industrial automation to increase the flexibility, adaptability, and reusability of modular production systems.

The starting point is the observation that the Process Orchestration Layer is increasingly reaching its limits. Engineering efforts are rising and latency times in cross-module information processing are reaching critical levels.

Following a design science research process, requirements are systematically derived from practical application scenarios. These are incorporated into a framework for implementing automation service choreographies. The framework includes architecture and design patterns for the distributed, configurable interaction of automation services. Standards such as OPC UA and the MTP concept are used to ensure manufacturer neutrality.

The developed artifacts are aimed for system and software architects as well as PLC programmers. They support the planning and implementation of modular production systems with automation service choreographies and help to close the gap between theory and practice.

Its practical suitability has been proven through implementations on established control platforms (SIMATIC TIA Portal, TwinCAT 3) and through industrial experiments with partners Merck, BASF, and Siemens. Engineering efforts can be significantly reduced by shifting tasks to the module level. Direct communication between controllers enables minimal latency times.

In summary, this work makes a well-founded and practical contribution to the further development of modular production systems with the aim of further increasing flexibility, adaptability, and reusability.

Keywords

  • Automation Service Choreography
  • Modular Production Systems
  • Configurable IEC61131 Control Software