Web services-based automation for the control and monitoring of production systems

Autonomous and intelligent control devices within the context of factory automation are seen as an essential ingredient in making time and cost savings in factory automation environments. In moving to mass customisation scenarios where production lines are subjected to frequent changes and mixed types of products, the agility and reconfigurability of automation systems are prime requirements to support changes in manufacturing lifecycles. In addition, intelligent functionalities including process monitoring, diagnostics and process reconfiguration are also desirable factors to facilitate an effective production unit with competitive costs and ease of use and maintenance. In this context, the adoption of Web Services on the distributed embedded control devices to enhance reconfigurability and integrability with supported manufacturing and business applications is proposed. This paper demonstrates the use of Web Services (WS) both in building device control functionality of control components and in business application integration. This WS approach offers the ability to integrate pervasive enterprise applications (e.g. process monitoring and planning systems) as well as the ability to reconfigure and manage lower level devices from higher manufacturing and business control levels through unifying WS interface and neutral Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) message communication between control systems and business applications