Development of an Extended Product Lifecycle Management through Service Oriented Architecture.

Organised by: Cranfield UniversityThe aim of this work is to define new business opportunities through the concept of Extended Product Lifecycle Management (ExtPLM), analysing its potential implementation within a Service Oriented Architecture. ExtPLM merges the concepts of Extended Product, Avatar and PLM. It aims at allowing a closer interaction between enterprises and their customers, who are integrated in all phases of the life cycle, creating new technical functionalities and services, improving both the practical (e.g. improving usage, improving safety, allowing predictive maintenance) and the emotional side (e.g. extreme customization) of the product.Mori Seiki – The Machine Tool Company; BAE Systems; S4T – Support Service Solutions: Strategy and Transitio

Automatic construction of virtual technical documentation

The main objective of the research reported in this thesis is the generation of intelligent documentation of complex manufactured products. The construction of documentation is a major part of product support that increases the competitiveness of the product and its effective and proper use during its life-time. At the same time, it is also a complicated and time-consuming task occupying highly trained personnel. The need for systems that increase the productivity of documentation authoring teams becomes even more apparent as other design and manufacturing activities progress towards their automation and integration through the various CAD/CAM systems. The first target of this research is to provide a system to assist the integration of the documentation authoring to the Product Data Management System, the primary source of product data. The second target is to increase the efficiency of the information systems used for this purpose and automate the process to the extent that is feasible using the available tools and ideas that are proposed in this thesis. The first contribution presented in this thesis is an Object-Oriented framework that aims to assist software developers in the design and implementation of electronic documentation systems. The second contribution is a novel distributed architecture for an intelligent documentation system that will allow the automation of a major part of the authoring procedure and the generation of electronic manuals based on information reused from the Product Data Management System. The third contribution is a new technique for the generation of virtual documents. The technique is rule-based so as to support the decision-oriented nature of data selection within the authoring procedure. The technique follows knowledge-based principles allowing authors to design documents at a higher level of abstraction.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Digitization of industrial quality control procedures applied to visual and geometrical inspections

Mestrado de dupla diplomação com a UTFPR - Universidade Tecnológica Federal do ParanáIndustries quality control procedures are usually dependent on gauge inspection tools, and these tools are used to inspect visual and geometrical tolerance conformity. Operators are guided during an inspection by using paper tutorials that assist them in performing their tasks and registering the result of the performed analysis. This traditional method of registering information may be misleading, lowering the effectiveness of the quality control by providing inaccurate and error-prone inspection results. This work implements a system that uses emergent technologies (e.g., Human-Machine Interfaces, Virtual Reality, Distributed Systems, Cloud Computing, and Internet of Things (IoT)) to propose a costeffective solution that supports operators and quality control managers in the realization and data collection of gauge inspection control procedures. The final system was deployed in an industrial production plant, with the delivered results showing its efficiency, robustness, and highly positive feedback from the operators and managers. The software may offer a quicker and efficient execution of analysis tasks, significantly decreasing the setup time required to change the inspected product reference

Automatic construction of virtual technical documentation

The main objective of the research reported in this thesis is the generation of intelligent documentation of complex manufactured products. The construction of documentation is a major part of product support that increases the competitiveness of the product and its effective and proper use during its life-time. At the same time, it is also a complicated and time-consuming task occupying highly trained personnel. The need for systems that increase the productivity of documentation authoring teams becomes even more apparent as other design and manufacturing activities progress towards their automation and integration through the various CAD/CAM systems. The first target of this research is to provide a system to assist the integration of the documentation authoring to the Product Data Management System, the primary source of product data. The second target is to increase the efficiency of the information systems used for this purpose and automate the process to the extent that is feasible using the available tools and ideas that are proposed in this thesis. The first contribution presented in this thesis is an Object-Oriented framework that aims to assist software developers in the design and implementation of electronic documentation systems. The second contribution is a novel distributed architecture for an intelligent documentation system that will allow the automation of a major part of the authoring procedure and the generation of electronic manuals based on information reused from the Product Data Management System. The third contribution is a new technique for the generation of virtual documents. The technique is rule-based so as to support the decision-oriented nature of data selection within the authoring procedure. The technique follows knowledge-based principles allowing authors to design documents at a higher level of abstraction

Improving root cause analysis through the integration of PLM systems with cross supply chain maintenance data

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a system architecture for integrating Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems with cross supply chain maintenance information to support root-cause analysis. By integrating product-data from PLM systems with warranty claims, vehicle diagnostics and technical publications, engineers were able to improve the root-cause analysis and close the information gaps. Data collection was achieved via in-depth semi-structured interviews and workshops with experts from the automotive sector. Unified Modelling Language (UML) diagrams were used to design the system architecture proposed. A user scenario is also presented to demonstrate the functionality of the system

KSNet-Approach to Knowledge Fusion from Distributed Sources

The rapidity of the decision making process is an important factor in different branches of the human life (business, healthcare, industry, military applications etc.). Since responsible persons make decisions using available knowledge, it is important for knowledge management systems to deliver necessary and timely information. Knowledge logistics is a new direction in the knowledge management addressing this. Technology of knowledge fusion, based on the synergistic use of knowledge from multiple distributed sources, is a basis for these activities. The paper presents an overview of a Knowledge Source Network configuration approach (KSNet-approach) to knowledge fusion, multi-agent architecture and research prototype of the KSNet knowledge fusion system based on this approach

Construction safety and digital design: a review

As digital technologies become widely used in designing buildings and infrastructure, questions arise about their impacts on construction safety. This review explores relationships between construction safety and digital design practices with the aim of fostering and directing further research. It surveys state-of-the-art research on databases, virtual reality, geographic information systems, 4D CAD, building information modeling and sensing technologies, finding various digital tools for addressing safety issues in the construction phase, but few tools to support design for construction safety. It also considers a literature on safety critical, digital and design practices that raises a general concern about ‘mindlessness’ in the use of technologies, and has implications for the emerging research agenda around construction safety and digital design. Bringing these strands of literature together suggests new kinds of interventions, such as the development of tools and processes for using digital models to promote mindfulness through multi-party collaboration on safet

Let’s augment the future together!:Augmented reality troubleshooting support for IT/OT rolling stock failures

The railway industry is moving to a socio-technological system that relies on computer-controlled and human-machine interfaces. Opportunities arise for creating new services and commercial business cases by using technological innovations and traffic management systems. The convergence of Information Technology (IT) with Operational Technology (OT) is critical for cost-effective and reliable railway operations. However, this convergence introduces complexities, leading to more intricate rolling stock system failures. Hence, operators necessitate assistance in their troubleshooting and maintenance strategy to simplify the decision-making and action-taking processes. Augmented Reality (AR) emerges as a pivotal tool for troubleshooting within this context. AR enhances the operator’s ability to visualize, contextualize, and understand complex data by overlaying real-time and virtual information onto physical objects. AR supports the identification of IT/OT rolling stock system failures, offers troubleshooting directions, and streamlines maintenance procedures, ultimately enhancing decision-making and action-taking processes. This thesis investigates how AR can support operators in navigating troubleshooting and maintenance challenges posed by IT/OT rolling stock system failures in the railway industry