Patent ID: 8160843

Claim:
A device for planning a production unit for manufacturing a product, the production unit having a production building and manufacturing facilities, wherein the manufacturing facilities are connected by way of a communication network and are equipped with automation systems, the device comprising: a product data management system comprising a database in which data relating to the product to be manufactured and further manufacture-related data are stored, the product management system comprising a planning platform comprising planning tools for generating a virtual mapping of the product, the production building and the manufacturing facilities by accessing the database; a network planning tool integrated in the planning platform for receiving network planning data characterizing the communication network as input, wherein results from the network planning tool comprise end-to-end delay times achieved for specified logical configurations of the automation devices, wherein the results take into account actual influences of the communication network itself in the planning for the production unit; and a monitoring interface for displaying planning status information in the planning for the production unit.