Self-Describing Production Modules for Automated Process Planning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity and high user collaboration requirements in designing and setting up modular production systems make them difficult to configure and operate effectively.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a production module with a memory device that stores self-description information about its properties and capabilities, allowing for communication and coupling with other modules using NoSQL databases, which simplifies the setup by enabling easier concatenation of complex data and logical strings, thereby reducing user intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If production modules are designed with self-description information stored in NoSQL databases, then the ease of operation and configuration is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional memory devices and database structures
Solution Approach 1:
The production module is pre-configured with self-description information stored in a NoSQL database within its memory device. This information includes the module's properties, capabilities, and production functions before the module is deployed or coupled with other modules. By having this information prepared in advance, the system eliminates the need for complex manual configuration during setup, as the module can automatically provide its own description data to the production system planner.
Solution Approach 2:
The NoSQL database acts as an intermediary layer between the production module's internal properties and the external production system planning software. Instead of requiring direct complex interactions between modules and planning tools, the self-description information stored in the NoSQL database serves as a standardized interface that simplifies how modules communicate their capabilities and how planners configure production systems.
2Extent of automation
If self-description information is stored and transmitted by production modules, then the extent of automation is improved, but the loss of time increases due to data transmission and processing
Solution Approach 1:
The self-description information is pre-stored in the NoSQL database within each production module before any planning or execution occurs. This preliminary preparation means that when the production system planner needs information about a module's capabilities, the data is already readily available in a structured format, eliminating the need for time-consuming queries or manual data gathering during the planning phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The self-description information is stored as a copy or representation of the module's actual properties and capabilities. This copied information in the NoSQL database can be transmitted and processed without affecting the actual module operation, allowing parallel processing and reducing the time impact on actual production execution.
Data Source
AI summary
A production module for performing a production function on a product, production system, production planning device, and method for planning the production of the product, wherein a plurality of production modules are intercoupled, where a self-description information set is stored within each production module as a database, e.g., NoSQL, OWL, ontology, SPARQL, which comprises properties of the production module, where if a production information set comprising the production steps required to produce the product is present, then the production information set and the self-description information sets or parts thereof are transmitted to a production planning device to plan production of the product and a production procedure plan for a product to be processed is determined, and where the production procedure plan comprises an information set about a sequence of production modules of the production system, which sequence a product should pass through to produce an intermediate product or end product.