Battery cell research production - Subproject 2

  © Fraunhofer FFB  

Motivation

Electricity storage systems are an essential component of all sectors of the economy involved in the energy and mobility transition. In addition to the present field of application of automobility, building technology with stationary electricity storage or batteries for smart devices are further areas with a high demand for electricity storage. According to a study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, battery production in Europe will increase fifteenfold from 38 gigawatt hours per year today to 576 gigawatt hours by 2030. The challenge is to establish and expand high-performance production, including infrastructures, in Germany in order to successfully and innovatively shape growth in this dynamic sector of the economy.

The initial beginning is the battery cell research production in Münster, which is a new branch of the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT. The Battery Cell Research Fabrication forms the center of the development of a modern and scalable battery cell production for Germany and Europe. In parallel to subproject 1 of the battery cell research production, subproject 2 of the research project will start in 2021.In subproject 2, the focus will be on networking and digitization of the production line, among other things. In this topic area, the Machine Tool Laboratory WZL of RWTH Aachen University is supporting the development of a data acquisition toolbox and the setup and integration of an ERP and MES system. In combination with other elements, a digital image of the product and production systems is generated.

Source: Research production battery cell

 

Target

The objective of the Data Acquisition Toolbox is the selection and clustering of a suitable, representative selection of input data with the aim of structuring the heterogeneous data sources within the production line. The structuring is used to design integration pipelines for the systematic integration of data from the field and the production planning and control systems. For this purpose, the Data Acquisition Toolbox forms a framework that allows flexible expansion and scaling.

Another goal in the area of digitization and networking is the establishment and integration of an MES system as well as the harmonized alignment of the ERP and MES systems, and the MES and ERP-related services. In addition, interoperability of MES and ERP systems with each other and with the other systems such as IIoT devices and AI systems should be ensured. In this context, continuity and availability of all data between all systems involved, the middleware components, the digital twin access point and the data sources is ensured and secured at the same time.

 

Approach

In the course of the project, the OPC UA communication protocol is used, among other things, which makes it possible to create uniform information models via companion specifications. In order to be able to display and process the large number of parameters in a uniform manner, it is necessary to select and combine a range of existing companion specifications that achieve the greatest possible coverage with the existing parameters from production. To ensure the later connectivity of the real production line, OPC UA information models are developed and implemented with the integration of the selected Companion Specifications.

On the control level, the WZL supports the connection of the ERP and MES systems, which are results from subproject 1 of the battery cell research production. This includes the concrete disclosure of interfaces for the acquisition of all production-relevant data under consideration of interoperability.