Vertical integration of production systems

This paper gives an overview of state-of-the-art, problems as well as opportunities of "vertical integration" concepts, i.e. integration from office to machine level. Beside a comparison of different types of workshop and data orientated network systems and review of software methods for integrating, the paper deals with security issues of open communication. Apart from a more general problem description, the paper also reports on first results in industrial projects achieved by ARC Seibersdorf research GmbH.