From Contract to Commissioning
With the successful completion of the PCS Body-Color Sorting Buffer & PVC Feed Buffer project, Skillworks AG has once again demonstrated its expertise in industrial process control systems. The project was delivered for AUDI in Ingolstadt and encompasses a fully web-based control solution for a complex 4-level body storage facility.
Over a period of approximately 12 months, our team — both on-site and remote — worked closely with the AUDI team to design, develop, test and successfully roll out the system into live production. The plant has been running reliably in real-world operation ever since.
Complex Challenges, Elegant Solutions
At the heart of the system is a highly flexible rules engine that ensures uninterrupted pearl-chain sorting and color-block formation of vehicle bodies. Material flow rules can be adjusted dynamically via a generic administration interface — without interrupting live operations.
All plant controllers and surrounding systems are connected via OPC UA and Siemens Cloud Connectors. Seamless integration with AUDI's higher-level MES ensures that production data is available in real time.
"This project shows what's possible when deep process expertise meets modern web technologies. We are proud of the result and the team that made it happen."
Project Highlights
The delivered system is characterized by the following key features:
- 4 levels for storage and sorting of vehicle bodies
- Rule-based pearl-chain sorting with color-block formation
- Fully web-based PCS — no local software installation required at workstations
- OPC UA integration of all relevant control components
- Integration with AUDI's higher-level MES
- Intuitive administration interface for operations and maintenance
Further Information
Full details on technology, project scope and results can be found on the project reference page. Interested in a similar solution for your facility? Get in touch — we look forward to the conversation.
