Press release - February 15, 2023
CONTACT's contribution to the Asset Administration Shell
CONTACT Software has recently become a member of the IDTA - Industrial Digital Twin Association and is involved in further development of the Asset Administration Shell. The open-source project aims to establish a global standard for Industry 4.0, which networks manufacturing companies and their systems end-to-end.
The IDTA was founded as a spin-off of the "Plattform Industrie 4.0" by the VDMA, ZVEI, and Bitkom associations with originally 20 companies from the mechanical and electrical engineering sectors. Due to the joining of CONTACT Software, the international alliance now has 86 members. Its mission is to establish the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) as a standardized industry solution.
"The digital twin will only develop its full potential as a key technology for Industry 4.0 in data cycles," says Christian Stürmer, who is part of the CONTACT Research team and coordinates the collaboration in the IDTA. The management shell creates the frame for end-to-end information flows between companies, plants, and IT platforms: It networks and describes the product twin so that manufacturers, suppliers, and customers can collect, exchange, and utilize data in high quality.
In the future, the AAS will provide complete lifecycle files of machines, their components and assemblies, software, supplier material, preliminary products and orders, and even legally relevant documents such as certifications and contracts. "We are contributing our know-how in the areas of CAD data, product structures, PLM/IoT integration, and open industry standards to the further development of the Digital Twin’s management shell," says Stürmer.
CONTACT has already completed two research projects on the AAS and realized initial practical applications with partners from mechanical engineering and automation technology. The software provider is now building on the results in various working groups of the IDTA, which are dealing with the design of the AAS sub-models, use cases, and general technological aspects. In addition, CONTACT Research can use its previous AAS findings in the new ESCOM and Flex4Res research projects.
Those interested in learning more about the AAS's practical benefits can get a live demo at the Hannover Messe 2023 from April 17-21. CONTACT Software will present its range of industry solutions at the world's largest trade fair under the motto "PLM meets IoT" in Hall 17, booth H20, and will use the OWL joint stand D27 in Hall 7 exclusively for the topic of AAS.
