Multiple-level virtual commissioning in manufacturing systems: possibilities and challenges for integration

Virtual commissioning has gained significance in the contemporary manufacturing scene, as it can employ powerful emulations with the control logic of a machine, work cell, or even an entire production system that can be tested and optimized before being deployed in real-time. The literature contains plenty of studies that address virtual commissioning independently at the machine, cell, and plant levels. However, it lacks examples of connected virtual commissioning on several levels. Using a simple example, this study tried to perform virtual commissioning on several levels one by one with an emphasis on the potential for integrating several levels. As a result, this paper discusses possibilities and challenges for integrating virtual commissioning at the machine, cell, and plant level, enabling more cohesive and efficient commissioning processes across the entire production system hierarchy.