Approaches for planning and operation of adaptable factories

Adaptability is currently one of the most challenging research topics. The Department of Factory Planning and Factory Management of Chemnitz University of Technology developed the Experimental and Digital Factory in which building blocks for adaptable factory systems are integrated. Hence, a powerful model factory is available for research on adaptability. The focus among others is on the continuous interaction between factory planning and factory operation. This includes an extensive interchange and processing of information between the virtual and the real factory. The rapid implementation and verification of planning results in the real environment is enabled by holistic application and integration of different methods and tools of the Digital Factory. The paper explains a concept for adaptable factory systems and the interplay of planning and operation. The approaches are demonstrated on the use case of combined planning of layout and logistics with subsequent realisation.