Consistent Development of Automated Material Flow Systems using a model-based Approach

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Johannes Fottner; Professor Dr. Michael Goedicke; Professorin Dr.-Ing. Birgit Vogel-Heuser
• Subject Area: Production Systems, Operations Management, Quality Management and Factory Planning ; Engineering Design, Machine Elements, Product Development
• Term: from 2020 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 451550676

In the development process of automated systems such as interlinked production systems to manufacture goods or automated material flow systems to transport goods several departments (Sales, Development, etc.) and disciplines (mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, etc.) are involved in parallel or sequentially. The various involved stakeholders use different design models and tools for the same project, each of which depicts partial aspects relevant for the respective discipline. Each stakeholder has its own view of the project, which is limited to those aspects of a model that are relevantto the respective stakeholder for working on its individual task. However, since relevant aspects of different stakeholders partly overlap or influence each other, it is currently common to re-model parts of one stakeholder’s model in another modelling tool for another stakeholder. If changes are made during the development phase, however, this may lead to inconsistencies between the different models. Using the example of automated material flow systems (aMFS), this research project aims to investigate and develop information technology methods and models, which enable an efficient, cross-disciplinary collaboration. The developed information technology methods link the different models together andautomatically detect inconsistencies between the models. After the detection of inconsistencies, implemented rules define reactions oninconsistencies and provide recommendations for actions to resolve these inconsistencies. In contrast to run time models of aMFS, this research project focuses on design models. The V-SUMM approach from the information technology domain seems suitable to maintain consistency between different models and to improve their integration in the development and evolution of aMFSs. For example, consistency and correspondence rules are defined between the multiple meta-models used during the development of aMFS, such as CAD models. In particular, the V-SUMM approach enables the generation of composed views. For example, the relationships between CAD (layout) and UML (logic) model elements are made visible and alterable. This research project defines a V-SUMM foraMFSs to realize a continuous workflow during development, todetect inconsistencies between design models at an early stage and to enable the reuse of design models across several disciplines and projects. The proposed approach does not completely automate the development process of aMFSs, but supports the humanstakeholders during the development process and manual transfer of knowledge that has already been modeled is avoided.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants