A reference architecture for cyber-physical fluid power systems: towards a smart ecosystem

Technological advances (e.g., high speed communication, artificial intelligence) and affordable computing and sensor hardware have become a key driver of developments like “Industry 4.0” or the “Industrial Internet of Things” (IIoT). Large numbers of machines and products are equipped with sensors to constantly monitor their condition, log usage data or trigger control processes. IIoT has been largely adopted by OEMs in various industries (such as automotive, machinery industry, or healthcare and medical), turning their product into cyber-physical systems. However, the resulting potential is not yet accessible to component manufacturers. Overall, horizontal integration of the value chain is still in its infancy. Specifically, IIoT for fluid powers just started in recent years with first research projects and commercial solutions. This work presents a reference architecture for cyber-physical fluid power systems which depicts how horizontal integration can be achieved and which potentials thus can be released. The architecture is validated in an industrial use case. Furthermore, the paper at hand discusses which components of the architecture should be addressed by which actor in the fluid power ecosystem in order to leverage opportunities from the IIoT.