Abstract: A method and an engineering system for generating and handling component applications (CA1 . . . CAn) for physical components (C1 . . . Cn) such as a programmable control (Programmable Logic Control (PLC)), Human Machine Interface (HMI) and/or a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Unit (SCADA) of a control system (CA), in which instances (ICF1 . . . ICFn) of component functions (CF1 . . . CFn) for the components (C1 . . . Cn) are produced and from which the component applications (CA1 . . . CAn) are generated, the generated component applications (CA1 . . . CAn) being loaded to the physical components (C1 . . . Cn).

Abstract: A method for evaluating use of a service and/or function provided by an automation component. To implement an evaluation of a use of the service and/or functions of the automation component with little hardware complexity, a web service is called by a web service call, the web service call or a function call generated by the web service is recognized by means of a recognition module implemented in the automation component, service and/or function information that regards the called service and/or function and that is contained in the web service call or the function call is read out by means of the recognition module, the web service is executed after release, service- and/or function-specific data are detected by means of a detection module during the execution of the web service, and the service and/or function provided by the automation component is evaluated.

Abstract: A method for evaluating use of a service and/or function provided by an automation component. To implement an evaluation of a use of the service and/or functions of the automation component with little hardware complexity, a web service is called by a web service call, the web service call or a function call generated by the web service is recognized by means of a recognition module implemented in the automation component, service and/or function information that regards the called service and/or function and that is contained in the web service call or the function call is read out by means of the recognition module, the web service is executed after release, service- and/or function-specific data are detected by means of a detection module during the execution of the web service, and the service and/or function provided by the automation component is evaluated.

Abstract: A method and an engineering system for generating and handling component applications (CA1 . . . CAn) for physical components (C1 . . . Cn) such as a programmable control (Programmable Logic Control (PLC)), Human Machine Interface (HMI) and/or a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Unit (SCADA) of a control system (CA), in which instances (ICF1 . . . ICFn) of component functions (CF1 . . . CFn) for the components (C1 . . . Cn) are produced and from which the component applications (CA1 . . . CAn) are generated, the generated component applications (CA1 . . . CAn) being loaded to the physical components (C1 . . . Cn).

Abstract: The invention relates to a transportation system (10) for transporting objects (WSx), in particular workpieces, including a plurality of parallel or substantially parallel transportation paths (12, 14, 16) and a device (18) for shifting the objects (WSx) between at least two adjacent transportation paths (12, 14, 16). In order to reduce both the space required for the transportation path and the time consumption for displacing the workpieces between the transportation paths, it is proposed that the transportation paths (12, 14, 16) are disposed one above the other in different planes, and that the workpieces (WSx) on being shifted are moved on a path (30) that defines a plane extending perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the transportation paths (12, 14, 16).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for monitoring a workpiece (WSx) during a transportation and/or production process with at least one workpiece agent (WA1 . . . WAn) assigned to the workpiece. To enhance the freedom of the process from failure on the one hand and to facilitate the incorporation of new workpieces into the process on the other, it is provided that the failure of a workpiece agent (WA1 . . . WAn) assigned to a workpiece (WSx) is detected; that the monitoring of the workpiece (WSx) is taken over by a further workpiece agent (WAk), and workpiece-specific data of the taken-over workpiece (WSx) are contained in the workpiece agent (WAk) taking over the monitoring and/or in a database and are transmitted in the workpiece agents.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for adjusting the workpiece flow in a production system (10), including workpieces (16) and workpiece agents (18) associated with the workpieces, machines (12) for machining the workpieces (16), and machine agents (14) associated with the machines (12) and transportation device (20). To make a flexible production system available that is tolerant of at least partial failures of system components, it is provided that each transportation agent (30) is assigned at least one machine (12) with a specified machine address Mn; that the transportation agent (30) is tasked to transport the workpiece (16) to a desired destination machine address Mz; and that the transportation agent (30) autonomously controls the transportation device (20) in such a way that the workpiece (16) is transported to the machine with the destination machine address Mz via a specified destination exit (A1-A4).