An RDF-based approach for implementing industry 4.0 components with Administration Shells

Industry 4.0 is a global endeavor of automation and data exchange to create smart factories maximizing production capabilities and allowing for new business models. The Reference Architecture Model for Industry 4.0 (RAMI 4.0) describes the core aspects of Industry 4.0 and defines Administration Shells as digital representations of Industry 4.0 components. In this paper, we present an approach to model and implement Industry 4.0 components with the Resource Description Framework (RDF). The approach addresses the challenges of interoperable communication and machine comprehension in Industry 4.0 settings using semantic technologies. We show how related standards and vocabularies, such as IEC 62264, eCl@ss, and the Ontology of Units of Measure (OM), can be utilized along with the RDF-based representation of the RAMI 4.0 concepts. Finally, we demonstrate the applicability and benefits of the approach using an example from a real-world use case.