Abstract: A method for configuring a modular industrial plant using an engineering tool includes using a plant engineering facility of the tool to create a representation of the modular industrial plant identifying modules to be orchestrated in the modular industrial plant. The modules include at least one function module that includes control software for the modular industrial plant. The method further includes using a module engineering facility of the tool to configure the function module for use in the modular industrial plant by editing a placeholder configuration file created by the tool for defining the configuration of the function module. Editing the configuration file causes a representation of the function module in the plant engineering facility to be automatically updated to reflect adaptations made to the function module using the module engineering facility. The method includes instructing the tool to assign the function modules so configured to the modular industrial plant.

Abstract: A system and method includes storing a description of at least one sensor in a database; storing a description of the at least one actuator in the database; storing a PLC-list comprising a description of the at least one PLC in the database; writing a controller program that describes an action of the at least one actuator caused by the at least one sensor; selecting, based on the database and the controller program, a PLC of the PLC-list, which is able to functionally connect the sensor and the actuator; generating an application for controlling the selected PLC based on the selected PLC and the controller program; and transferring the application to the selected PLC thus configuring and/or functionally connecting the at least one sensor and the at least one actuator of the sub-system.

Abstract: A method for generating an enriched alarm message associated to an initial alarm message of a concerned component of a plant includes providing a plurality of information model rules related to alarm messages for respective interrelations of components of the plant; applying the plurality of information model rules related to the alarm messages to respective components of a topology of the plant, for generating a system of information model rules related to the respective alarm messages of the plant; inferring logical consequences for the system of information model rules, which are related to the initial alarm message originated by the concerned component; and generating the enriched alarm message by combining the information model rules related to the initial alarm message of the concerned component, based on the inferred logical consequences.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for optimizing execution of an industrial process includes providing a set of resource indicators, each being indicative of an amount of a resource that is required and/or produced by virtue of a particular service being in a particular state; determining a set of candidate programs for execution of the process, each candidate program having a sequence of states of services of process modules such that the sequence accomplishes the industrial process, and the resource requirements of all services in the sequence are fulfilled; determining a set of overall resource requirements for executing the industrial process according to the candidate program; determining a figure of merit for the candidate program; and selecting a candidate program with the best figure of merit as the optimal program for executing the given industrial process.

Abstract: A connecting interface for a function module and/or function module instance in an industrial process environment for connecting an external function to the function module and/or function module instance, The function module and/or function module instance including definitions according to which the industrial process is operated, and the connecting interface containing information to create an external function module containing the external function by which the external functions can be added to the function module and/or function module instance.

Abstract: A method of providing a software configuration for a modular plant, the method comprising providing a first function module as a parent object, wherein the first function module comprises a function information of the first function module; generating at least a second function module, wherein the second function module is a derived child object of the first function module that inherits the function information of the first function module.

Abstract: A method of automatically augmenting a knowledge model representing one or more automation engineering domains. The method comprises: obtaining instance data relating to at least one component of an industrial automation system, wherein the component represents an instance of at least one entity in the knowledge model; processing the instance data using one or more data analytics algorithms to derive knowledge to be added to the knowledge model; and augmenting the knowledge model to represent the derived knowledge. Corresponding systems are also provided.

Abstract: A method performed by an integration subsystem for integrating a plurality of automation engineering subsystems into an aggregate system, the method comprising using at least one ontological model to interface a first said automation engineering subsystem with a second said automation engineering subsystem. Interoperability of the subsystems is therefore facilitated.

Abstract: A method of integrating modules into a hybrid modular plant comprising a discrete manufacturing part and a continuous manufacturing part includes integrating the discrete part into the continuous part, comprising constructing at least one module definition file mapping one or more discrete-part units of the discrete part to a continuous-part module and importing the module definition file into an orchestration layer of the continuous part. Alternatively, the method comprises integrating the continuous part into the discrete part, comprising constructing one or more interfaces representing each continuous-part module as one or more respective discrete-part units.

Abstract: A first gateway device for connecting an OPC UA client to a data-driven controller and/or control system includes a first interface implementing an OPC UA server and is configured to receive, from the OPC UA client, at least one call to invoke an OPC UA method on an OPC UA object, and a second interface that sends a request to write at least one value to at least one control variable of the data-driven controller and/or control system, and first translation logic therebetween. A second gateway device connects a data-driven controller and/or control system to a controlled device or subsystem of an industrial plant and includes a third interface that receives a value of a control variable, and a fourth interface that sends a call to invoke an OPC UA method on an OPC UA object, and second translation logic therebetween.

Abstract: A method for verifying process orchestration logic for a modular plant includes generating a plant execution model representing the process orchestration logic; analyzing the plant execution model to identify one or more potential failure scenarios; and generating one or more test cases based on the one or more identified failure scenarios.

Abstract: A modular automation support system for modular plants comprises an automation engineering support system comprising a feedback processing component configured to modify the operation of one or more other components of the automation engineering support system based on user feedback.

Abstract: A modular automation support system for modular plants includes an engineering support system comprising a control and execution engine configured to: receive data from a monitoring infrastructure of a modular plant and convert that data into semantic data which conforms to a semantic data model; use one or more semantic rules or mechanisms relating the semantic data received from the monitoring infrastructure to services provided by modules of a pipeline of the modular plant to control the pipeline in executing a process.

Abstract: A method of generating control code for an industrial plant comprises: defining control logic for controlling the industrial plant by editing a cause-and-effect matrix provided by an engineering tool, wherein the defining comprises defining both instrument-based control logic and service-based control logic using the same cause-and-effect matrix; and generating the control code for controlling the industrial plant on the basis of the defined control logic.

Abstract: A computer-implemented resource management method for modular plants may include: receiving data identifying a required module type to be assembled into the modular plant as part of a module pipeline including one or more modules; and executing an optimization algorithm to select, from a plurality of modules having the required module type, a module for inclusion in the module pipeline on the basis of one or more predetermined optimization criteria.

Abstract: A resource management system for modular plants includes a database providing a module library of semantic modules representing respective modules in a module pool. At least one of the semantic modules includes a semantic description of the respective module, where the semantic description includes abstract data according to a semantic data model, and where the abstract data describes attributes of the respective module not found in a standard description file for the module. Based thereon, the system facilitates automated generation and optimization of module pipelines.

Abstract: Systems and methods for event analytics in a modular industrial plant are provided. A method includes: monitoring events in a module of the modular industrial plant during a predetermined time interval; generating a module fingerprint based on the monitored events occurring in the module during the predetermined time interval; and performing module-based event analytics based on the generated module fingerprint.

Abstract: A method for configuring a modular industrial plant using an engineering tool includes using a plant engineering facility of the tool to create a representation of the modular industrial plant identifying modules to be orchestrated in the modular industrial plant. The modules include at least one function module that includes control software for the modular industrial plant. The method further includes using a module engineering facility of the tool to configure the function module for use in the modular industrial plant by editing a placeholder configuration file created by the tool for defining the configuration of the function module. Editing the configuration file causes a representation of the function module in the plant engineering facility to be automatically updated to reflect adaptations made to the function module using the module engineering facility. The method includes instructing the tool to assign the function modules so configured to the modular industrial plant.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for reverse engineering control logic of a module for a modular industrial plant includes: obtaining module-related data including runtime data relating to prior use of the module during a timeperiod in which at least one piece of equipment of the module transitions from a first equipment state to a second equipment state, the runtime data including tags indicating the equipment state of the equipment at a plurality of timepoints during the timeperiod; and inferring from the module-related data one or more equipment state transition conditions causing the equipment to transition from the first equipment state to the second equipment state.