Glossary · System coordination, integration and orchestration
Machine orchestration
German: Maschinenorchestrierung
In industrial automation, machine orchestration is the central, software-driven control of several machines, in which an orchestrating instance decides which machine performs which task, in which order and with which parameters, based on orders, recipes and machine states.
- System integration
In one sentence
Machine orchestration is the central control of several machines by one instance that assigns tasks, order and parameters based on orders and states.
Example
A cell orchestrator sends job parameters to a laser cutter, a bending machine and a robot, starts each step when the previous one reports completion and reroutes parts when a machine is down.
How it applies
- Engineering: The orchestrator needs a uniform view of each machine: a state model, commands, parameters and results. Standardized interfaces (for example OPC UA companion specifications or PackML states) keep the orchestrator independent of the individual machine.
- Operation: Orchestration allows flexible routing and batch-size-one production, but makes the orchestrator a critical dependency; define how machines behave when it is unavailable.
- Documentation: Describe the division of responsibility: what the orchestrator decides and what each Machine controller still decides locally, especially interlocks and safety functions, which remain on the machine.
Machine orchestration vs. machine coordination
In orchestration, a central instance directs the machines. In Machine coordination, machines align with each other, often through direct handshakes. The terms are borrowed from software architecture, where Service orchestration and Service choreography make the same distinction.