Semantic Information Modelling for Factory Planning Projects

Nowadays, one of the main challenges in factory planning is the consistent and coherent information processing along planning processes. Despite the current efforts in the fields of Virtual Production and Digital Factory, planning and simulation applications mostly support only analyses and optimizations of single planning aspects. To match nowadays challenges, planners require solutions that provide an integrated view on all data generated along planning processes to evaluate planning scenarios in advance and to achieve increasing production quality and efficiency. We have developed an essential solution by combining the ‘Condition Based Factory Planning’, a flexible planning approach which decomposes the process into standardized planning modules, and the ‘Virtual Production Intelligence’. This fusion creates a basis for the integration and analysis of data aggregated along production (planning) processes. The current information model provides factory planners to perform integrated analyses of process characteristics on the bases of module parameters to increase transparency of information flows.In this paper, the enhanced process of semantic information modelling is described to integrate precise planning values within a factory planning project from heterogeneous data sources and to provide a consistent information base within the planning system. Therefore, we define the relevant concepts of the domain and their interrelations in a formalized and explicit way. Furthermore, specific templates for the planning modules are developed to ensure the completeness and high data quality which are then mapped against the information model by means of semantic annotation and interpretation. This approach provides semantic interoperability of planning and simulation applications used in factory planning without the need to change their individual data models and structures. Thus, the business logic of the domain and the technical implementation of the planning system are decoupled which provides a generality of the business logic and a flexible adaption of planning modules.