A formal skill model to enable reconfigurable assembly systems

Abstract

As assembly systems move into the era of mass customisation, the complexity of design processes, (re)configurations and operations rises. Well-structured data are key in keeping this complexity manageable. Hereto, this paper presents a multidimensional formal skill model designed to deliver generic descriptions of needs and capacities with skills as the connector between products, processes and resources. The model formalises resource structures in relation to the processes they master and products they can produce. This paper discusses the case-based evaluation in a reconfigurable assembly system and highlights the added-value of a skill-based modelling approach. The presented formal model combines concepts coming from both offline and online modelling perspectives and allows for various applications and levels of detail. The resource structures embedded in the prerequisites of a skill enable matchmaking of resources for workspace design and reconfigurations. The mapping of the model to standardised ISA-95 models couples production needs to the resources allowing for more optimal production planning, control and a structured interface between enterprise and control systems. The possibility to couple states to the assembly environment allows for optimal runtime orchestration.