Enabling AI-Powered Manufacturing through Virtual Sensors, Actuators and PLCs within the TAAIB - vCPPS Platform
This article presents a forward-looking framework for how virtual instrumentation, synthetic data, and AI can revolutionize manufacturing by using the TAAIB – vCPPS Platform. It explains how virtual sensors, actuators, and no-code PLCs within simulated digital twins can generate realistic data to train and deploy AI models for predictive maintenance, process optimization, and dynamic planning—without even requiring access to real-world production lines.
By integrating industry-standard technologies (e.g., Asset Administration Shells, OPC-UA, MQTT) with scalable cloud AI infrastructure (e.g., Azure Databricks), the platform enables manufacturers across diverse sectors—like tire production, power generation, mining, consumer goods, aerospace, pharma, and electronics—to safely experiment, optimize, and scale AI adoption. The paper makes the case that synthetic, simulation-driven environments are not just testbeds, but strategic enablers of Industry 4.0 and future-proof AI.