Cyber-physical production systems retrofitting in context of industry 4.0

Abstract Industry 4.0 is the new industrial revolution involving the introduction of new technologies in the industrial field. However, changing the technological level of an outdated industry is not a simple task. By retrofitting all old equipment into new equipment in industries, the retrofitting concept emerges as a rapid and low-cost solution, aimed at reusing existing equipment, with the addition of new technologies. However, retrofitting changes according to the type and model of industrial equipment, making it challenging to upgrade industrial equipment to Cyber-Physical Production Systems (CPPS). In this paper, the standardization of the retrofitting process to transform old equipment into a CPPS is presented. The standardization is done with the support of a platform that has features to work independently of the model or type of equipment. To implement the platform, we define the requirements, components, and technologies necessary to retrofit industrial equipment. The entire process is based on Reference Architectural Model for Industry 4.0 (RAMI 4.0) a widespread architecture of Industry 4.0. With the retrofitting platform based on RAMI 4.0, makes consistent the process of upgrading industrial equipment, providing Industry 4.0 functionality. A prototype with an industrial robotic arm was implemented to validate the process and the retrofitting platform. The results show the benefits of the CPPS Retrofitting process in industrial equipment.