On this year’s SPS, sps smart production solutions in Nuremberg, ISG Industrielle Steuerungstechnik GmbH shows the completely revised version 2.8 of their simulation system ISG-virtuos, the open simulation platform for digital twins (November 26.-28, 2019, hall 6, booth 340). Users of this platform – especially from the sector of machinery and plant engineering – are able to significantly shorten their time-to-market as well as commissioning times (up to 90%). Plant operators, too, benefit from ISG-virtuos, given that producers can offer the digital images of their components on the plat-form for production-accompanying optimization and service. By means of a new, intuitive user level, the plant simulation can comfortably be configured in 3D choosing the components from a producer-comprehensive component library. More and more producers provide – besides their real components – the respective vir-tual components on the platform in order to simplify the digital transformation for their clients. Furthermore, ISG-dirigent has been further developed. By means of this tool, necessary tests that are nowadays effected manually can be automated. Thus, the control software quality can be optimized at a much earlier stage. ISG also presents the latest version of the control kernel ISG-kernel. Thanks to multi-channel-technology, it enables the synchronous activation of machine and robot axes.
System platform for digital twins and virtual commissioning
Given the technologically newly implemented platform concept in version 2.8 of ISG-virtuos, digital twins can be configured and used seamlessly: From a Model- via a Software- up to a realtime deterministic Hardware-in-the-loop simulation. On the basis of this open platform with standardized integration mechanisms for vir-tual components in libraries, with virtualized controls of various manufacturers as well as specialized third-party simulation solutions, it is possible to develop cus-tomer-specific optimized simulation solutions. Thanks to the intuitive 3D configu-ration surface and existing component libraries, the platform can easily be used – during projection phase no special knowledge is required. „We closely cooperated with leading users of the automotive, wood-working and control sector when re-modelling this system platform,” Dr.-Ing. Christian Daniel, Business manager simulation technology at ISG explains. „There is an always-growing demand from component manufacturers and service providers to use our SDK C++, in order to first generate simulation models for intelligent components such as drives, RFID- or density test devices and then provide as reuseable mod-ules in the platform library for the generation of virtual systems. Furthermore, we fortified our position in the field of deterministic control realtime and now provide new library modules, which also enable the test of control technology within the fieldbus cycle, including deterministic behaviour.” The system test on a digital twin as Hardware-in-the-Loop simulation allows exact (on the fieldbus cycle of e.g. 1msec) performance statements under consideration of all components and mod-ules, including the failure situations of modules – up to factory simulations.
Digital tester enables fully-automated test processes
Thanks to the automation of test processes with ISG-dirigent, the quality of control software can be optimized at a very early stage. The test automation tool, first presented on SPS IPC Drives 2018, enables machine and plant manufacturers to effect numerous automated component, integration and system tests with digital twins on real controls. However, last year, ISG-dirigent customers were limited on working with SINUMERIK 840D sl and SIMATIC S7. „In the meantime, our system is way more flexible“, says Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Krebser, development manager ISG-dirigent. „Customers can now also use their Beckhoff- (CNC und PLC) and Fanuc controls (CNC). The development of a complete, producer-independent library for CNC controls makes good progress”, Krebser continues.
Multi-channel-technology enables synchronous activation of machine and robot axes
Furthermore, ISG presents their latest version of ISG-kernel. The future-oriented multi-channel-technology enables the synchronous activation of machine and robot axes: With one single control via 24 channels, up to 24 machine and robot kinematics can be moved parallely and synchronously. The openness of ISG-kernel allows users to continuously enlarge the solution, to adapt it to their own re-quirements and to easily integrate it into their production environment. „Robot and machine tool keep growing together into joint hybrid plants and work in close cooperation”, says Roland Beeh, head of ISG-kernel development. „It is obvious to provide them with one common language and thus enable users to talk to all systems at the same time and without any language barriers.“