A Semantic Model to Express Process Parameters and their Interdependencies in Manufacturing

The degree of automation in production is steadily increasing. Highly complex equipment is used to manufacture products that have to fulfill highest standards. Nowadays, due to several reasons like an increasing demand for sustainability or a shortening of product life cycles, manufacturing processes have to be reconfigured or even redesigned more often. Especially when trying to anticipate effects of parameter changes during the redesign of a process, it is important that known parameter interdependencies are explicitly described. In this contribution, a semantic model for representing process parameters and their interdependencies is presented. The model uses various socalled Ontology Design Patterns. These patterns contain reusable terminology and logic of industrial standards. Models following this approach enable support for process redesign by representing semantically enriched process knowledge. In addition, the model can be utilized to perform calculations and generate process outputs based on specific process inputs. An application of the developed model is shown on an exemplary heating process in carbon composite manufacturing.