Modular Ontology to Support Manufacturing SMEs Toward Industry 4.0

Abstract

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) implementation is a hot topic among manufacturing organizations to reach smart factory status and integrate a fully connected ecosystem. Achieving such a transition presents notable challenges for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) since they often face resource and skilled personnel limitations. This study developed a domain ontology to represent various stages of maturity toward I4.0 implementation. Ontology provides a tool for SMEs to self-assess in situations of machines, processes, and factories for the dimensions of control, integration, and intelligence. This study focused on the identification of classes and relationships according to I4.0 implementation situations in the context of a manufacturing setting, the reuse of ontologies related to the domain of observations to model situations, and the creation and validation of the ontology through the information obtained from the questionnaires applied to SMEs. Finally, the ontology delivers a tool to understand SMEs' current state concerning I4.0 implementation and plan based on informed decisions about the maturity state and the technology required to advance to the next stage in their manufacturing processes.