Object-oriented modeling for remote monitoring of manufacturing processes

Deals with the use of object oriented technologies in the modeling of industrial plants that have to be remotely monitored and/or controlled. The main goal is to propose a design methodology for obtaining the model of the so-called Virtual Plant, that a remote and certified user will use to access the real plant for performing command actions and/or monitoring. The type of applications and systems targeted must have autonomous behavior and be interconnected and accessible. Reliability, maintainability and flexibility are also required goals, as well as a high rate of reusability of the applications. The methodology has been applied to the remote process monitoring and control of manufacturing processes. The Virtual Plant Model is, in fact, the part of the plant that can be accessed by a certified remote client and thus it can be constituted by a set of sub-models, as many as different types of clients. The Virtual Plant resides inside the Application Server who is responsible of communicating with the cell controller and sends the image of the actual plant state (the Virtual Plant) as required by the remote client (monitoring) or sends the client commands to the cell controller.