Abstract
Commissioning forms a crucial part of the initiation of a new manufacturing system. Commissioning activities occur after the design of a new manufacturing system or product line, but before the system is built and deployed into production. Current commissioning practices involve virtual commissioning (VC) tools with limited verification abilities, where virtual models representing a manufacturing system are built and then used in simulation. Software-In-The-Loop (SIL) simulation is applied to virtual models to measure and verify performance metrics that are important to a manufacturer. Due to inaccuracies and gaps in current VC capabilities, physical commissioning is still a common practice for complete verification and validation of a manufacturing system prior to deployment. The need for physical commissioning requires valuable time during the commissioning process. A Full Stack Virtual Commissioning process would eliminate the need for physical commissioning, allowing system integrators to more rapidly commission new manufacturing systems. In this work, we provide an initial Requirements Framework that outlines the critical technological and research gaps that must be addressed in order to achieve a transition toward a Full Stack Virtual Commissioning process. The current state-of-the-art approaches for commissioning are presented, along with an introduction to digital twin technology as an important VC enabler that is being explored within the academic and industrial domains. Lastly we highlight key benefits, important technical gaps, and critical challenges that must be addressed in order to facilitate a transition to Full Stack Virtual Commissioning.
