Generation and impact analysis of adaptation options for automated manufacturing machines

Abstract

Due to current trends in manufacturing, existing machines need to become more flexible to cope with a more dynamical production environment. To achieve this “flexibilization”, existing machines have to undergo adaptation processes during their operational phase, i.e. mechanical changes, changes of sensors and actuators, software changes, or a combination thereof. A fundamental part of these adaptation processes is the generation of adaptation options. Here, many constraints and interrelations must be considered, which complicate these processes and may result in suboptimal or error-prone results. Therefore, a systematical and efficient approach for generating adaptation options is indispensable for a successful adaptation process. State-of-the-art approaches mostly focus on the adaptation of products and are not appropriate for manufacturing machines. Accordingly, in this contribution an approach for the generation of adaptation options is proposed to support the adaptation of manufacturing machines. The approach is based on the interdependencies between products, processes, and resources. The application of the approach is demonstrated by an illustrative example of a pick-and-place unit.