Development of manufacturing automation systems through object oriented concepts and international standards

Interoperable, portable and scalable automation systems will he a key element for next generation manufacturing systems. Therefore, innovative development methodologies, standards and tools for the structured design of complex automation systems are mandatory. In the present work a development methodology is introduced, which is based on emerging international standards and exploits object-oriented concepts. By means of the proposed framework the definition of complex control and supervision systems is simplified, and the maintenance and reuse of designed solutions is enhanced. In particular, the agility, interoperability, portability and scalability of the developed automation systems are significantly improved. An application example is also addressed throughout the paper to highlight the benefits of the proposed framework. In particular, the development of automation functionalities for an highly innovative shoe manufacturing plant is discussed.