Towards a Comprehensive Methodology for Modelling Submodels in the Industry 4.0 Asset Administration Shell

The Industry 4.0 Asset Administration Shell is designed as a digital communication interface that exposes information of various aspects of an asset in Submodels, which are functional blocks. However, a methodology that identifies the set of Submodels required for a specific use case is lacking. This work therefore presents two results: 1) the methodology we developed to identify the Submodels applicable in a use case and 2) an example application involving immaterial process assets. Our approach complements existing procedures by beginning with a functional description rather than an established standard and by creating a potentially interconnected set of Submodels rather than a singleton. The outcomes were verified by domain experts and through integration of the corresponding AASs.