Glossary · Automation fundamentals, platforms and components
RAMI 4.0
Also known as: Reference Architectural Model Industrie 4.0
German: RAMI 4.0
RAMI 4.0 (Reference Architectural Model Industrie 4.0) is a three-dimensional reference model that locates Industry 4.0 assets and technologies along three axes: layers (asset, integration, communication, information, functional, business), life cycle and value stream, and hierarchy levels derived from IEC 62264 and IEC 61512.
- Automation components
- Standards
In one sentence
RAMI 4.0 is a 3D reference model locating Industry 4.0 assets by architecture layer, life cycle and hierarchy level; see DIN SPEC 91345.
Example
An architecture team uses RAMI 4.0 to show that its asset administration shell covers the information layer of a pump across its whole life cycle.
How it applies
- Architecture: RAMI 4.0 provides a shared map for discussing where a standard or system fits: for example, OPC UA sits mainly in the communication and information layers.
- Engineering: The hierarchy axis extends the classic automation pyramid, including the Supervisory level, by "product" and "connected world". The life cycle axis separates type (development) from instance (production and use).
- Documentation: Documentation teams can use RAMI 4.0 to position product information in the life cycle and link it to the Information model that carries it. Using the same model across engineering, IT and documentation teams reduces misunderstandings about scope.
RAMI 4.0 is a reference model for orientation, not a technical specification that a product can "comply" with in the sense of interoperability.