A method for supporting the transformation of an existing production system with its integrated Enterprise Information Systems (EISs) into a Cyber Physical Production System (CPPS)

Abstract Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) combine the use of components from the physical and the digital worlds in a synergistic way. Cyber-Physical Production Systems (CPPSs), essential in Industry 4.0, result from the application of CPS principles to production environments. To promote the widespread implementation of CPPSs, it is necessary to study how to transform an existing production system with its integrated Enterprise Information Systems (EISs) into a CPPS. This is a very broad question and the scope of this work is limited to the concept development stage. The purpose of the paper is twofold: (1) to elaborate a meta-model for formalizing the elements that constitute CPPSs, with a particular emphasis on the involved EISs, and (2) to propose a method for supporting the transformation of an existing production system with its integrated EISs into a CPPS. Firstly, a literature review on the transformation methods towards CPPSs is carried out. It concludes that existing studies do not consider all aspects of CPPSs, especially its EISs, and that there is a lack of a method that analyzes the gap between the As-Is system and the To-Be system. As a result, a meta-model describing the main object classes that constitute CPPSs and the interrelationships among these classes, is proposed. Next, a method based on the meta-model is proposed to support the transformation into a CPPS. It provides a checking matrix to immediately visualize which improvement actions in the As-Is system are required. Furthermore, a case study illustrating the use of the method is presented. Finally, the contributions of the study are summarized and future work is highlighted.