A Framework for Automatically Realizing Assembly Sequence Changes in a Virtual Manufacturing Environment

© 2016 The Authors. Global market pressures and the rapid evolution of technologies and materials force manufacturers to constantly design, develop and produce new and varied products to maintain a competitive edge. Although virtual design and engineering tools have been key to supporting this fast rate of change, there remains a lack of seamless integration between and within tools across the domains of product, process, and resource design-especially to accommodate change. This research examines how changes to designs within these three domains can be captured and evaluated within a component based engineering tool (vueOne, developed by the Automation Systems Group at the University of Warwick). This paper describes how and where data within these tools can be mapped to quickly evaluate change (where typically a tedious process of data entry is required) decreasing lead times and cost and increasing productivity. The approach is tested on a sub-assembly of a hydrogen fuel cell, where an assembly system is modelled and changes are made to the sequence which is translated through to control logic. Although full implementation has not yet been realized, the concept has the potential to radically change the way changes are made and the approach can be extended to supporting other change types provided the appropriate rules and mapping

Multi-process modelling approach to complex organisation design

Present day markets require manufacturing enterprises (MEs) to be designed and run in a flexibly structured yet optimised way. However, contemporary approaches to ME engineering do not enable this requirement to capture ME attributes such that suitable processes, resource systems and support services can be readily implemented and changed. This study has developed and prototyped a model-driven environment for the design, optimisation and control of MEs with an embedded capability to handle various types of change. This so called Enriched-Process Modelling (E-MPM) Environment can support the engineering of strategic, tactical and operational processes and comprises two parts: (1) an E-MPM Method that informs, structures, and guides modelling activities required at different stages of ME systems design; and (2) an E-MPM Modelling Framework that specifies interconnections between modelling concepts necessary for the design and run time operation of ME systems. [Continues.

A framework for automatically realizing assembly sequence changes in a virtual manufacturing environment

Global market pressures and the rapid evolution of technologies and materials force manufacturers to constantly design, develop and produce new and varied products to maintain a competitive edge. Although virtual design and engineering tools have been key to supporting this fast rate of change, there remains a lack of seamless integration between and within tools across the domains of product, process, and resource design - especially to accommodate change. This research examines how changes to designs within these three domains can be captured and evaluated within a component based engineering tool (vueOne, developed by the Automation Systems Group at the University of Warwick). This paper describes how and where data within these tools can be mapped to quickly evaluate change (where typically a tedious process of data entry is required) decreasing lead times and cost and increasing productivity. The approach is tested on a sub-assembly of a hydrogen fuel cell, where an assembly system is modelled and changes are made to the sequence which is translated through to control logic. Although full implementation has not yet been realized, the concept has the potential to radically change the way changes are made and the approach can be extended to supporting other change types provided the appropriate rules and mapping

Enhanced integrated modelling approach to reconfiguring manufacturing enterprises

Dynamism and uncertainty are real challenges for present day manufacturing enterprises (MEs). Reasons include: an increasing demand for customisation, reduced time to market, shortened product life cycles and globalisation. MEs can reduce competitive pressure by becoming reconfigurable and change-capable. However, modern manufacturing philosophies, including agile and lean, must complement the application of reconfigurable manufacturing paradigms. Choosing and applying the best philosophies and techniques is very difficult as most MEs deploy complex and unique configurations of processes and resource systems, and seek economies of scope and scale in respect of changing and distinctive product flows. It follows that systematic methods of achieving model driven reconfiguration and interoperation of component based manufacturing systems are required to design, engineer and change future MEs. This thesis, titled Enhanced Integrated Modelling Approach to Reconfiguring Manufacturing Enterprises , introduces the development and prototyping a model-driven environment for the design, engineering, optimisation and control of the reconfiguration of MEs with an embedded capability to handle various types of change. The thesis describes a novel systematic approach, namely enhanced integrated modelling approach (EIMA), in which coherent sets of integrated models are created that facilitates the engineering of MEs especially their production planning and control (PPC) systems. The developed environment supports the engineering of common types of strategic, tactical and operational processes found in many MEs. The EIMA is centred on the ISO standardised CIMOSA process modelling approach. Early study led to the development of simulation models during which various CIMOSA shortcomings were observed, especially in its support for aspects of ME dynamism. A need was raised to structure and create semantically enriched models hence forming an enhanced integrated modelling environment. The thesis also presents three industrial case examples: (1) Ford Motor Company; (2) Bradgate Furniture Manufacturing Company; and (3) ACM Bearings Company. In order to understand the system prior to realisation of any PPC strategy, multiple process segments of any target organisation need to be modelled. Coherent multi-perspective case study models are presented that have facilitated process reengineering and associated resource system configuration. Such models have a capability to enable PPC decision making processes in support of the reconfiguration of MEs. During these case studies, capabilities of a number of software tools were exploited such as Arena®, Simul8®, Plant Simulation®, MS Visio®, and MS Excel®. Case study results demonstrated effectiveness of the concepts related to the EIMA. The research has resulted in new contributions to knowledge in terms of new understandings, concepts and methods in following ways: (1) a structured model driven integrated approach to the design, optimisation and control of future reconfiguration of MEs. The EIMA is an enriched and generic process modelling approach with capability to represent both static and dynamic aspects of an ME; and (2) example application cases showing benefits in terms of reduction in lead time, cost and resource load and in terms of improved responsiveness of processes and resource systems with a special focus on PPC; (3) identification and industrial application of a new key performance indicator (KPI) known as P3C the measuring and monitoring of which can aid in enhancing reconfigurability and responsiveness of MEs; and (4) an enriched modelling concept framework (E-MUNE) to capture requirements of static and dynamic aspects of MEs where the conceptual framework has the capability to be extended and modified according to the requirements. The thesis outlines key areas outlining a need for future research into integrated modelling approaches, interoperation and updating mechanisms of partial models in support of the reconfiguration of MEs

Towards semantics-driven modelling and simulation of context-aware manufacturing systems

Systems modelling and simulation are two important facets for thoroughly and effectively analysing manufacturing processes. The ever-growing complexity of the latter, the increasing amount of knowledge, and the use of Semantic Web techniques adhering meaning to data have led researchers to explore and combine together methodologies by exploiting their best features with the purpose of supporting manufacturing system's modelling and simulation applications. In the past two decades, the use of ontologies has proven to be highly effective for context modelling and knowledge management. Nevertheless, they are not meant for any kind of model simulations. The latter, instead, can be achieved by using a well-known workflow-oriented mathematical modelling language such as Petri Net (PN), which brings in modelling and analytical features suitable for creating a digital copy of an industrial system (also known as "digital twin"). The theoretical framework presented in this dissertation aims to exploit W3C standards, such as Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL) and Web Ontology Language (OWL), to transform each piece of knowledge regarding a manufacturing system into Petri Net modelling primitives. In so doing, it supports the semantics-driven instantiation, analysis and simulation of what we call semantically-enriched PN-based manufacturing system digital twins. The approach proposed by this exploratory research is therefore based on the exploitation of the best features introduced by state-of-the-art developments in W3C standards for Linked Data, such as OWL and SWRL, together with a multipurpose graphical and mathematical modelling tool known as Petri Net. The former is used for gathering, classifying and properly storing industrial data and therefore enhances our PN-based digital copy of an industrial system with advanced reasoning features. This makes both the system modelling and analysis phases more effective and, above all, paves the way towards a completely new field, where semantically-enriched PN-based manufacturing system digital twins represent one of the drivers of the digital transformation already in place in all companies facing the industrial revolution. As a result, it has been possible to outline a list of indications that will help future efforts in the application of complex digital twin support oriented solutions, which in turn is based on semantically-enriched manufacturing information systems. Through the application cases, five key topics have been tackled, namely: (i) semantic enrichment of industrial data using the most recent ontological models in order to enhance its value and enable new uses; (ii) context-awareness, or context-adaptiveness, aiming to enable the system to capture and use information about the context of operations; (iii) reusability, which is a core concept through which we want to emphasize the importance of reusing existing assets in some form within the industrial modelling process, such as industrial process knowledge, process data, system modelling primitives, and the like; (iv) the ultimate goal of semantic Interoperability, which can be accomplished by adding data about the metadata, linking each data element to a controlled, shared vocabulary; finally, (v) the impact on modelling and simulation applications, which shows how we could automate the translation process of industrial knowledge into a digital manufacturing system and empower it with quantitative and qualitative analytical technics

Boilerplates for reconfigurable systems: a language and its semantics

Boilerplates are simplified, normative English texts,intended to capture software requirements in a controlled way. This paper proposes a pallet of boilerplates as a requirements modelling language for reconfigurable systems, i.e., systems structured in different modes of execution among which they can dynamically commute. The language semantics is given as an hybrid logic, in an institutional setting. The mild use made of the theory of institutions, which, to a large extent, may be hidden from the working software engineer, not only provides a rigorous and generic semantics, but also paves the way to tool-supported validation.FC

Towards information management framework for digital twin in aircraft manufacturing

Aircraft manufacturing industries often evolve in the ecosystem of complex designs and manufacturing processes associated with large volume of information generated along the lifecycle. Digital Twin (DT) technology has the potential of leveraging such information to provide useful insights benefiting the overall business in many ways. Information Management (IM) for DT is still an ongoing challenge for many industries, thus leaving a considerable research gap. In this paper, an IM framework for DT in the aircraft manufacturing sector is proposed. The key phases and elements of IM are discussed on which the framework is constructed. The potential application of the framework along aircraft lifecycle is further discussed. The framework not only provides an effective approach to managing information but also opens new research prospects in DT domain

Reuse and integration of specification logics: the hybridisation perspective

Hybridisation is a systematic process along which the characteristic features of hybrid logic, both at the syntactic and the semantic levels, are developed on top of an arbitrary logic framed as an institution. It also captures the construction of first-order encodings of such hybridised institutions into theories in first-order logic. The method was originally developed to build suitable logics for the specification of reconfigurable software systems on top of whatever logic is used to describe local requirements of each system’s configuration. Hybridisation has, however, a broader scope, providing a fresh example of yet another development in combining and reusing logics driven by a problem from Computer Science. This paper offers an overview of this method, proposes some new extensions, namely the introduction of full quantification leading to the specification of dynamic modalities, and exemplifies its potential through a didactical application. It is discussed how hybridisation can be successfully used in a formal specification course in which students progress from equational to hybrid specifications in a uniform setting, integrating paradigms, combining data and behaviour, and dealing appropriately with systems evolution and reconfiguration.This work is financed by the ERDF—European Regional Development Fund through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation—COMPETE 2020 Programme, and by National Funds through the FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) within project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006961. M. Martins was further supported by project UID/MAT/04106/2013. A. Madeira and R. Neves research was carried out in the context of a post-doc and a Ph.D. grant with references SFRH/BPD/103004/2014 and SFRH/BD/52234/2013, respectively. L.S. Barbosa is also supported by SFRH/BSAB/ 113890/2015