Feature-Based Adaptive Manufacturing Equipment Control for Cloud Environments

Abstract

The ideas of on-demand, scalable and pay-for-usage resource-sharing in Cloud Manufacturing are steadily attracting more interest. For implementing the concept of Manufacturing-as-a-Service in a cloud environment, description models and implementation language for resources and their capabilities are required. A standardized approach for systemized virtualization, servisilisation, retrieval, selection and composition into higher levels of functionality is necessary. For the collaborative sharing and use of networked manufacturing resources there is also a need for a control approach for distributed manufacturing equipment. In this paper, the technological perspective for an adaptive cloud service-based control approach is described, and a supporting information model for its implementation. The control is realized through the use of a network of intelligent and distributable Function Block decision modules, enabling run-time manufacturing activities to be performed according to actual manufacturing conditions. The control system’s integration to the cloud service management functionality is described, as well as a feature-level capability model and the use of ontologies and the Semantic Web.