Digitalization and Industry 4.0

The Internet of Things (IoT), which is loosening the separation between the virtual and the real world, is the driving force behind industry 4.0 in the factory. Today, companies can and will increasingly network their machines, warehouse systems and resources worldwide as Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). These include intelligent machines, storage systems and equipment that independently exchange information, trigger actions and control each other. The Smart Factories created in this way have a completely new production logic: The intelligent products are clearly identifiable, can be located at any time and know their history, their current status and alternative paths to their desired destination (according to Kagermann et al. 2012).

With regard to Industry 4.0, the IFL develops Cyber-Physical Systems for intralogistics and is also active at the supply chain management level.

In the department Logistics Systems, we deal with the following questions, for example:

• How can data and IT systems help to make the right decision for rescheduling in supply chains due to short-term disruptions?
• Which decentralized planning algorithms can be used in highly flexible manufacturing environments?
• Which new digital business and market models are made possible, e.g. to optimize the supply and demand matching of (production) resources? In the context of I4.0 we work closely with the other IFL departments, e.g. in the areas of Plug&Play conveyor technology or the development of various control algorithms for modern logistics and production plants.