A Function-Behaviour-Structure design methodology for adaptive production systems

Abstract

Adaptive production systems are a key trend in modern advanced manufacturing. This stems from the requirement for the system to respond to disruption, either in the form of product changes or changes to other operational parameters. The design and reconfiguration of these systems are therefore a unique challenge for the community. One approach to systems design is based on functional and behavioural modelling, drawn from the field of design theory. Existing approaches suffer from lack of focus on the adaptive properties of the system. While traditional production systems design focusses on the physical system structure and associated processes, new approaches based on functional and behavioural models are particularly suited to addressing the challenges of disruptive production environments resulting from Industry 4.0 and similar trends. We therefore present a Function-Behaviour-Structure (FBS) methodology for Evolvable Assembly Systems (EAS), a class of self-adaptive reconfigurable production systems, comprising an ontology model and design process. The ontology model provides definitions for Function, Structure, and Behaviour of an adaptive production system. This model is used as the input to a functional modelling design process for EAS-like systems, where the design process must be integrated into the system control behaviour. The framework is illustrated with an example taken from a real EAS instantiation using industrial hardware.

Adaptive Automation Assembly Systems in the Industry 4.0 Era: A Reference Framework and Full–Scale Prototype

“…Modern trends such as mass customization, higher product variability, reduced product life cycles and variable production batches require production systems to be designed for rapid reconfiguration and self-adaptation in response to disruptions, in terms of either product changes or changes in other operational parameters [24][25][26][27][28]. Research in the area proposes, among others, reconfigurable manufacturing and assembly systems with 'plug and produce' technologies [29], holonic manufacturing and evolvable collaborative manufacturing and assembly systems [23,[29][30][31].…”

“…Research in the area proposes, among others, reconfigurable manufacturing and assembly systems with 'plug and produce' technologies [29], holonic manufacturing and evolvable collaborative manufacturing and assembly systems [23,[29][30][31]. In this field, methods aiding the design and management of these emerging systems are needed, to allow a reconfiguration guided by humans or by an agent control layer [25]. Suitable architectures are needed to be developed to best manage the integration among the huge amount of data collected by dedicated sensors from the shop floor, their proper analysis and elaboration and the feedback to provide to the physical entities.…”

Design and management of digital manufacturing and assembly systems in the Industry 4.0 era

“…Sanderson et al [66] present a Function-Behaviour-Structure methodology for Evolvable Assembly Systems, a class of self-adaptive reconfigurable production systems, comprising an ontology model and design process. This model is used as the input to a functional modelling design process for such assembly systems, where the design process must be integrated into the system control behaviour.…”

A Computational Synthesis Approach of Mechanical Conceptual Design Based on Graph Theory and Polynomial Operation

“…Besides, a matrix methodology to the design synthesis was developed by him and Chiou on the basis of that model [2,3]. Another two famous models are Function-Behavior-Structure and Function-Behavior-State [4][5][6]. The common character of these functional models is that they describe objects or design problems and solutions in terms of their known functions, and regard the design process as a function decomposition process.…”