Using Digitalization As An Enabler For Changeability In Production Systems In A Learning Factory Environment

Abstract

Existing as well as new production systems need to adapt to meet increasing requirements of global, volatile markets. Companies aim to keep their production systems physically changeable while at the same time raise their level of digitalization. The human is a key aspect in the design process of production systems. Humans can only systematically develop suitable solutions if they have the necessary competencies to make reliable decisions. A promising approach to teach the required competencies is the use of gamification in form of learning factories. Approaches for learning factories addressing either digitalization or changeability are already described in literature. Although it lacks an examination on how to teach competencies in a learning factory environment, it enables participants to use digitalization methodically to promote changeability in production systems. This paper describes the required competencies regarding the implementation of changeability in production systems as well as competencies to support changeability making use of digitalization. In addition, it presents a concept for a learning factory workshop. Each round describes a new external impact on the production system that needs to be actively addressed by implementing interactive solutions containing digitalization as well as changeability methods.