Towards an Engineering Workflow Management System for Asset Administration Shells using BPMN

TL;DR

This paper proposes a BPMN-based workflow management system for Asset Administration Shells (AAS), introducing a distributed copy-on-write infrastructure and a prototype to enhance automation, security, and collaboration in Industry 4.0 engineering processes.

Contribution

It introduces a novel BPMN-based approach combined with a distributed AAS infrastructure and a prototype workflow management system for improved automation and security.

Findings

Enhanced security and scalability with the copy-on-write infrastructure

Automated workflows improve efficiency and traceability

Prototype demonstrates practical feasibility of the approach

Abstract

The integration of Industry 4.0 technologies into engineering workflows is an essential step toward automating and optimizing plant and process engineering processes. The Asset Administration Shell (AAS) serves as a key enabler for creating interoperable Digital Twins that facilitate engineering data exchange and automation. This paper explores the use of AAS within engineering workflows, particularly in combination with Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) to define structured and automated processes. We propose a distributed AAS copy-on-write infrastructure that enhances security and scalability while enabling seamless cross organizational collaboration. We also introduce a workflow management prototype automating AAS operations and engineering workflows, improving efficiency and traceability.