FluPro

Optimal adaptation to current needs

The term "Fluid Production" originates from the vision that cyberphysical production systems (CPPS) permanently merge into new resources according to the actual demands. In this way, production – similar to a fluid that adapts its outer shape according to the pressures acting on it – always adapts optimally to current requirements. For this purpose, all production facilities are broken down into location-flexible modules in order to dynamically form and dissolve units. In this way, the current separation between value creation and logistics is overcome.

The modules are designed with a focus on the role of the human being as an active designer of his production environment. The result is a new, highly flexible production system that enables short-term decisions to be made before the actual value creation process begins and places the employee at the centre of production design.

The realization of the fluid production system is based on five subprojects

In the first subproject (SP1) – in close cooperation with the sister projects FlexCAR and Digital Fingerprint – fluid production is planned and the role of humans as the central designer of the production system is outlined.

In SP2 the cyberphysical resources of the fluid production system will be developed and prototyped as "production-related fluid particles".

SP3 enlarges upon questions of production control from order to real-time control and is dedicated to the specification of cyberphysical systems as industry 4.0 components of automotive production.

SP4 examines which methods and business processes are required to make the technical results developed in SP2 and SP3 employable in operational practice.

In SP5 the fluid production is implemented exemplarily and the performance is tested. The adaptability of the fluid production is demonstrated by switching to a currently unknown product.