Get Advances in Automotive Production Technology Theory and Application 1st Edition Philipp Weißgraeber PDF Ebook With Full Chapters Now
Get Advances in Automotive Production Technology Theory and Application 1st Edition Philipp Weißgraeber PDF Ebook With Full Chapters Now
Get Advances in Automotive Production Technology Theory and Application 1st Edition Philipp Weißgraeber PDF Ebook With Full Chapters Now
com
https://ebookmeta.com/product/advances-in-automotive-
production-technology-theory-and-application-1st-edition-
philipp-weisgraeber/
OR CLICK BUTTON
DOWLOAD NOW
https://ebookmeta.com/product/sustainable-production-and-
applications-of-waterborne-polyurethanes-advances-in-science-
technology-innovation/
https://ebookmeta.com/product/application-of-polymer-materials-
in-pavement-design-wei-jiang/
https://ebookmeta.com/product/electrolytic-production-of-al-si-
alloys-theory-and-technology-dmitriy-pruttskov/
https://ebookmeta.com/product/advanced-automotive-fault-
diagnosis-automotive-technology-vehicle-maintenance-and-
repair-5th-edition-tom-denton/
https://ebookmeta.com/product/autonomous-vehicles-and-the-law-
how-each-field-is-shaping-the-other-synthesis-lectures-on-
advances-in-automotive-technology-1st-edition-ayse-buke-
hiziroglu/
https://ebookmeta.com/product/technology-for-business-
application-of-the-advances-in-industry-4-0-to-small-to-medium-
sized-enterprises-1st-edition-john-blakemore/
https://ebookmeta.com/product/electrolytic-production-of-al-si-
alloys-theory-and-technology-dmitriy-pruttskov-aleksander-
andriiko-aleksei-kirichenko/
https://ebookmeta.com/product/nanomaterials-application-in-
biofuels-and-bioenergy-production-systems-1st-edition-eds-r-
praveen-kumar/
ARENA2036
Philipp Weißgraeber
Frieder Heieck
Clemens Ackermann Eds.
Advances in
Automotive Production
Technology – Theory
and Application
Stuttgart Conference on Automotive
Production (SCAP2020)
ARENA2036
Series Editor
ARENA2036 e.V., ARENA2036 e.V., Stuttgart, Germany
Die Buchreihe dokumentiert die Ergebnisse eines ambitionierten Forschungspro-
jektes im Automobilbau. Ziel des Projekts ist die Entwicklung einer nachhaltigen
Industrie 4.0 und die Realisierung eines Technologiewandels, der individuelle
Mobilität mit niedrigem Energieverbrauch basierend auf neuartigen Produktions-
konzepten realisiert. Den Schlüssel liefern wandlungsfähige Produktionsformen für
den intelligenten, funktionsintegrierten, multimateriellen Leichtbau. Nachhaltigkeit,
Sicherheit, Komfort, Individualität und Innovation werden als Einheit gedacht.
Wissenschaftler verschiedener Disziplinen arbeiten mit Experten und
Entscheidungsträgern aus der Wirtschaft auf Augenhöhe zusammen. Gemeinsam
arbeiten sie unter einem Dach und entwickeln das Automobil der Zukunft in der
Industrie 4.0.
Clemens Ackermann
Editors
Advances in Automotive
Production Technology –
Theory and Application
Stuttgart Conference on Automotive
Production (SCAP2020)
Editors
Philipp Weißgraeber Frieder Heieck
ARENA2036 e.V. ARENA2036 e.V.
Stuttgart, Germany Stuttgart, Germany
Clemens Ackermann
ARENA2036 e.V.
Stuttgart, Germany
© Der/die Herausgeber bzw. der/die Autor(en), exklusiv lizenziert durch Springer-Verlag GmbH, ein Teil
von Springer Nature 2021
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether
the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of
illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and
transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar
or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this
publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from
the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this
book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the
authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained
herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard
to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Mobility as well as the production of its means currently undergoes the vastest
changes since Henry Ford introduced the moving assembly line for its Model T in
1908. Today, the very industry that produces interconnected automobiles sees itself
constantly confronted with questions regarding interconnected and smart produc-
tion systems, with the necessity of an increasingly rapid incorporation of various
enabling technologies, and issues of data management & interoperability. It does
not come as a surprise then that there is a promising intersection of product and
production technologies, at which the intelligent product becomes part of the
production process already. Vice versa, an intelligent product has all the technical
requirements to inform production over the course of its entire life-cycle whilst
simultaneously benefiting from the data produced by every single comparable
vehicle; i.e. the “fleet-intelligence” informs both product and production.
Now, the practical questions that arise from the above stated hypotheses are
obviously manifold. And, more importantly, not to be answered or solved by any
single researcher, developer, or disruptive inventor. What they actually require is
the exchange of solution approaches and expert knowledge as well as a practical
take on collaboratively answering some of the more pressing issues.
The successor to last year’s “Stuttgarter Tagung zur Zukunft der
Automobilproduktion”1, namely, the Stuttgart Conference on Automotive
Production (SCAP2020) set out to be a forum that would not only allow for the
exchange of concepts and ideas but also for very specific answers within precisely
1
Stuttgart Congress on the Future of Automobile Production.
v
vi Editorial
defined solution spaces. The framework in which all contributions of the conference
would operate was defined by the questions mentioned at the beginning and given
the following headline: Advances in Automotive Production Technology – Theory
and Application.
The SCAP2020, organized by ARENA2036 in collaboration with
Fraunhofer IPA, University of Stuttgart, Startup Autobahn powered by Plug and
Play and IEEE TEMS, has proven to be a stimulating forum for researches from the
sciences, the industry, and startups allowing every participant to learn about
important current trends, gain insights regarding the overall research landscape, and
to find ways in which a transfer from theoretical approaches to practical applica-
tions becomes feasible.
Every single contribution up for discussion was peer-reviewed by either mem-
bers of the scientific committee comprised of 19 international experts or by indi-
vidual domain experts for specific subject matters. Accordingly, and in order to
ensure the scientific quality of the conference in general and of this volume in
particular, the organizing committee of the SCAP2020 was in the position to choose
the contributions to the conference from a far larger number of submissions.2
The contributions in this volume are arranged thematically in four parts,
allowing the readers to choose their fields of interest from a broad range of auto-
motive production technologies. Part A focusses on Novel Approaches for Efficient
Production and Assembly Planning, Part B on Smart Production Systems and Data
Services, Part C discusses Advances in Manufacturing Processes and Materials,
and Part D presents New Concepts for Autonomous, Collaborative Intralogistics.
Now, we would also like to thank everyone involved in planning and running the
conference, as well as all the contributors to and attendees of the conference –
especially Dr. Jörg Burzer, Rainer Brehm, Prof. Dr. Thomas Bauernhansl, and Prof.
Dr. Soumaya Yacout for their inspiring and insightful keynotes.
Finally, we would like to invite you to stay in touch with ARENA2036, to stay
tuned for SCAP2022, and to enjoy the following papers.
2
This book includes contributions submitted directly by the respective authors. The editors cannot
assume responsibility for any inaccuracies, comments, and opinions.
Contents
vii
viii Contents
1 Introduction
The transition towards electro-mobility has a profound impact on the development of
Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and the entire value chain of the automotive
industry [1, 2]. German, American and Japanese OEMs are announcing over 80 new
electric models for 2019/20 alone [3]. The parallel production of conventional, hybrid
and purely electrically powered vehicles confronts OEMs with major challenges and
the growing product variance on integrated assembly lines is leading to far-reaching
efficiency losses [4]. In addition to the high variety of products OEMs are facing, product
lifecycles are being shortened, making even more reconfigurations of the production
line necessary [5]. As today’s globalized society opens new markets for manufacturers,
competition is increasing accordingly. A customizable product and efficient, cost saving
manufacturing remains the best way to gain an edge over competitors and increase
product value [6].
The stated trends are particularly evident for automotive assembly. Assembly has
a significant impact on the value chain, accounting for 50% of production time and up
to 20% of total costs [7, 8]. Since the final assembly will remain a core competence of
OEMs in the future [9], novel strategies for the successful transformation of the industrial
value-chain towards electro-mobility must take the design of assembly systems into
account.
Currently, assembly systems for automotive production are designed for stable mar-
ket environments and only a few changes at a time [10]. They are limited by fixed transfer
systems (e.g. roll conveyors) and only very few buffers. To further increase reactivity
and reconfigurability and thus meet future requirements, matrix structured assembly
configurations (also referred to as line-less) present a promising solution [11, 12].
The basis for matrix structured assembly systems is the removal of the restrictions
imposed by fixed transfer systems, enabling movements between different assembly sta-
tions [5]. However, due to the high transformation gap between line and matrix structured
assembly systems, industrial applications have not yet reached a practical level [11]. Fur-
ther, the full potential of matrix structured assembly systems can only be explored when
the product´s precedence graphs contain a certain level of flexibility.
Accordingly it can be assumed, that an assembly system should contain both,
elements from matrix and line configurations, creating a hybrid form. Thus, this
paper presents a use case based design approach for hybrid assembly systems, which
incorporate the advantages of both matrix and line structured assembly systems.
2 Theoretical Background
Matrix-structured assembly systems have been well studied and explored over the past
years. However, there exists no uniform terminology and classification for the description
of matrix-structured assembly systems yet. Thus, the following explanations are intended
to highlight the most important characteristics in a cross-section manner.
The aim of matrix-structured assembly systems is to design a more flexible assem-
bly system in comparison to line assembly, while maintaining the same efficiency and
profitability [12]. Flexibility is achieved by decoupled assembly stations and assem-
bly stations arranged in a matrix structure. This allows for a dynamical adjustment of
Agile Hybrid Assembly Systems: Bridging the Gap … 5
assembly process sequences within the restrictions of the assembly precedence graph as
required during operation. [13, 14]. The assembly sequence as well as the route of each
job is not proactively planned and determined, but defined according to the availability of
resources and other situational circumstances such as the availability of workers, station
efficiency, transport times or even malfunctions at stations [13, 14]. The absence of a
higher-level cycle time eliminates the need for assembly scheduling or line balancing
[12, 15]. Sequence flexible assembly thus enables the realization of flow assembly with
different cycle times or cycle-independent assembly stations, as well as the production
of highly individualized products within the same assembly system [12]. A requirement
for the operational feasibility is the existence of a real-time control system, e.g. based
on multi-agent system [16].
Further advantages of the matrix structured assembly system are the scalability and
reconfigurability. Scalability can be achieved by duplicating bottleneck resources at
station or equipment level. Reconfigurability is realized by the modular design of the
assembly stations as well as associated resources [17, 18]. When reaching a situational
and near-real time adaptation of the assembly system, the term “agile assembly system”
is used. The planning process is characterized by a comparatively later as well as smaller
reduction in systemic degrees of freedom compared to line assembly [19].
All outlined aspects show that the tasks of planning and controlling matrix structured
assembly systems are increasingly merging [20]. In case of strong restrictions such as
limited flexibility of the precedence graph or space availability, it is sensible to transfer
only specific manufacturing segments into a matrix structure. This will reduce complex-
ity as well as the transformation gap and costs. For these reasons, a framework for agile
hybrid assembly systems is presented below, which addresses the segment-by-segment
break-up of line structures both in terms of the relevant fields of action and the selection
of potential production segments.
One key enabler of a hybrid assembly system is the one directional flow used in
line production. To dissolve bottlenecks, multifunctional assembly stations (i.e. stations
capable of performing two or more assembly processes) can be duplicated und operated
in parallel, a concept taken out of matrix structured assembly systems. Based on a
simulation-based analysis of the required level of agility, it is determined which assembly
stations should be duplicated, since highly efficient production segments can remain in
the line configuration.
To easily dissolve bottlenecks and allow for high utilization, stations must be highly
adaptable. This includes the capability of stations to process multiple products and their
variants. The utilization of the described flexibility requires the implementation of a
control system. Various control architectures exist. A fully decentralized, autonomous
system without a central control unit would be one implementation of a heterarchical
architecture. Another approach would be a hierarchical control architecture, which is
chosen when a set of tasks is required to be centralized. For an agile hybrid assembly
system such a set of tasks demands for a hierarchical control architecture. The tasks
are described in the following. The control system is responsible for the assignment of
products to a specific work station. This is based on the product requirements and the
work station abilities regarding the assembly operations. Also, it is responsible for the
sequencing of assembly operations at the chosen work station. For these decisions, the
control system may consider different factors such as the transport time, the redundancy
of equipment at a work station or possible breakdowns at work stations. Since unforeseen
changes on the shop floor can occur at any time, the control system needs to dynamically
and frequently reassess decisions.
The framework for agile hybrid assembly systems adopts scheduling approaches for
mix-model lines as they represented a validated method for optimizing the sequencing of
orders. Since transport times are gaining considerable significance in matrix-structured
assembly the scheduling approaches must be enhanced.
Operating a hybrid assembly system with maximum efficiency requires multiple
components. These components can be grouped into three fields of action (see Fig. 2).
Agile Hybrid Assembly Systems: Bridging the Gap … 7
Fig. 2. System architecture and required technologies for an agile hybrid assembly system.
Flexible Planning and Control includes the before mentioned control system, also
called the multi-agent manufacturing execution system, that coordinates every move-
ment in the hybrid assembly system. The control system uses an online scheduling
algorithm to assign each product its next process and the station that will carry out this
process, planning an individual route for each job. For the planning phase of the hybrid
assembly system, an automated scenario analysis is included. Its goal is the optimization
of the production system by applying discrete event simulations (DES). Once production
begins, the scenario analysis can be used to further improve production, analyzing data
that was not available in the planning phase.
Reconfigurable Infrastructure enables the dynamic adjustment of production
capacities. Autonomously reconfigurable workstations can adjust their capability pro-
files to handle an increasing and changing number of different processes. This makes
a short-term dispatching intralogistics system crucial. The intralogistics system adapts
to the flexible production layout and utilizes automated guided vehicles (AGVs) to
ensure that all workstations receive necessary components and equipment for assem-
bly. Although other transport vehicles can be used, AGVs are used as a representative
vehicle form in this context. One feature of the system is the dynamic calculation of the
AGV transport routes, reacting to sudden changes in production, like prioritization of
certain jobs and breakdowns. Since the workstations are autonomously reconfigurable
and AGVs can easily change routes, the infrastructure can be arranged in a flexible
layout. This allows improvements if possible enhancements are uncovered during the
simulation-based optimization process.
The underlying fully integrated Digital System Twin builds the connection between
the first two fields of action as a structured and hierarchical data model. For the first
field of action, the digital twin provides the data for training the online scheduling
algorithms as well as the data for the simulation runs, done by the scenario analysis. To
generate this information, the digital twin retrieves machine data from the reconfigurable
infrastructure, e.g. movement information from the AGVs or processing times from
8 A. Göppert et al.
the work stations. To solve optimization problems during the scenario analysis, meta-
heuristics are made available to the control system described in the first field of action.
Fig. 3. Focused challenges and systemic premises for the use case development
A multi-stage procedure is applied for the collection and evaluation of the use cases.
First, the three fields of action and each of their components are evaluated in an inter-
disciplinary project team regarding their possible integration into the current assembly
environment. For this purpose, current structural improvement potentials of the assembly
system, as well as assembly sections with restrictive and planning-intensive requirements
are examined. The resulting integration concepts can then be consolidated in a list with
specialist planners and evaluated using a qualitative criteria-based assessment of their
Agile Hybrid Assembly Systems: Bridging the Gap … 9
potential. Selected integration concepts are then transferred into a detailed, standardized
description, which include the basic functionalities, the systemic premises, the interrela-
tionships of the systems and actors as well as description models for resources, processes
and products. Those descriptions reflect the preliminary use cases and include alternative
system configurations.
The preliminary use cases will then be transferred into a simulation model to further
quantify their benefits. If a sufficient added value is proven, the relevant preliminary use
cases need to be detailed with regard to their technological embedding and interaction
in the existing system, e.g. the connection of the resources to the control system and
concrete decision algorithms for decision making. The further development of the use
cases is based on a hybrid planning strategy. This means that the development steps
are divided into increments, which are further detailed either in a plan-driven way or
developed in an agile way. By doing so, a late reduction of the degrees of freedom of the
assembly system is guaranteed. This leads to a shorter development time by parallelizing
work steps and also enables late modifications with little effort.
The necessary technological development requires cross-functional competencies
and a close collaboration with the OEM companies. Parallel to this, the integration
concept for the later system reconfiguration needs to be elaborated. This ensures that
the necessary infrastructure and employee’s competence are available in time for start
of operation and that negative effects on the existing production system are minimized.
By introducing use cases step-by-step the new components, e.g. the control system, can
be tested and improved. Gaining experience with the concept will allow OEMs to apply
the concept of matrix structured assembly on a bigger scale, integrating larger parts of
the plant into the matrix, ultimately leading from hybrid manufacturing to a fully matrix
configured assembly system, if reasonable. However, this is not always the ultimate goal.
Some parts of production will always function best in line configuration, making hybrid
assembly the most efficient manufacturing system in certain cases.
5 Conclusion
The presented hybrid system contributes to the design of future assembly systems by
showing how aspects of line and matrix configurations can be combined to have a ben-
eficial impact on a broad spectrum of production scenarios. By considering the relevant
fields of action, i.e. flexible planning and control, reconfigurable infrastructure and dig-
ital system twin, in a holistic way and by analyzing a hybrid configuration, the arising
challenges for producing companies are addressed in a practical and functional manner.
In addition to the presented fields of action an approach for the use-case development
as a method for a practical implementation of an agile hybrid assembly system includ-
ing the focused challenges and systemic premises was proposed. Further evaluation
potentials would be the analysis of implemented use-cases regarding key performance
indicators to achieve design guidelines for future implementations.
Acknowledgement. This work is part of the research project “AIMFREE” that is funded by the
German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) within the indirective on a
joint funding initiative to fund research and development in the field of electromobility (funding
10 A. Göppert et al.
number: 01MV19002A) and supported by the project management agency German Aerospace
Center (DLR-PT). The authors are responsible for the content.
References
1. PWC: The turning of the tide. Impacts of the automotive transformation on the value chain.
Study, PWC Autofacts (2018)
2. Seeberger, M.: Der Wandel in der Automobilindustrie hin zur Elektromobilität. Dissertation,
Universität St. Gallen (2016)
3. Wirtschaftswoche: So viele E-Autos sind bis 2022 angekündigt. https://www.wiwo.de/unt
ernehmen/auto/elektroautos-so-viele-e-autos-sind-bis-2022-angekuendigt/21262218.html.
Accessed 27 Feb 2019
4. Kampker, A.: Elektromobilproduktion. Springer Vieweg, Berlin (2014)
5. Göppert, A., Hüttemann, G., Jung, S., Grunert, D., Schmitt, R.: Frei verkettete Montagesys-
teme. Ein Ausblick. ZWF 113(3), 151–155 (2018)
6. Park, M., Yoo, J.: Benefits of mass customized products: moderating role of product
involvement and fashion innovativeness. Heliyon 4, 1–25 (2018)
7. Lotter, B.: Einführung. In: Lotter, B., Wiendahl, H.-P. (eds.) Montage in der industriellen
Produktion. Ein Handbuch für die Praxis, 2nd edn., pp. 1–8. Springer Vieweg, Berlin (2012)
8. Hu, S.J., Ko, J., Weyand, L., ElMaraghy, H.A., Lien, T.K., Koren, Y., Bley, H., Chryssolouris,
G., Nasr, N., Shpitalni, M.: Assembly system design and operations for product variety. In:
CIRP Annals – Manufacturing Technology. 60th year, Nr. 2, pp. 715–733 (2011)
9. Deloitte: The Future of the Automotive Value Chain. 2025 and Beyond. Study, Deloitte (2017)
10. Hüttemann, G., Gaffry, C., Schmitt, R.: Adaptation of reconfigurable manufacturing systems
for industrial assembly – review of flexibility paradigms, concepts, and outlook. Procedia
CIRP 52, 112–117 (2016)
11. Lettmann, P., Hüttemann, G., Schmitt, R.: Produktrouten in frei verketteten Montagesystemen.
Ermittlung und Bewertung von Produktrouten mittels Merkmalsklassifizierung. ZWF 114(9),
517–520 (2019)
12. Schönemann, M., Herrmann, C., Greschke, P., Thiede, S.: Simulation of matrix-structured
manufacturing systems. J. Manuf. Syst. 421, 1–25 (2015)
13. Hüttemann, G., Göppert, A., Lettmann, P., Schmitt, R.: Dynamically interconnected assembly
systems – concept definition, requirements and applicability analysis. WGP-Jahreskongress
7(1), 1–25 (2017)
14. Burggräf, P., Dannapfel, M., Adlon, T., Schukat, E., Kahmann, H., Holtwiesche, L.: Modeling
and evaluating agile assembly systems using mixed-integer linear programming. In: 53rd
CIRP Conference on Manufacturing Systems (2019)
15. Greschke, P.: Matrix-Produktion als Konzept einer taktunabhängigen Fließfertigung. Disser-
tation (2015)
16. Burggräf, P., Dannapfel, M., Adlon, T., Kahmann, H., Schukat, E., Holtwiesche, L.: Multi-
agent systems in agile assembly – real-time scheduling of flexible operation sequences on
multifunctional assembly stations. wt Werkstatt online 110(4), 170–176 (2020)
17. Kampker, A., Bartl, M., Bertram, S., Burggräf, P., Dannapfel, M., Fischer, A., Grams, J.,
Knau, J., Kreisköther, K., Wagner, J.: Agile low-cost montage. In: Internet of Production für
agile Unternehmen, pp. 231–259 (2017)
18. Kamper, A., Kreisköther, K., Wagner, J., Fluchs, S.: Mobile assembly of electric vehicles:
decentralized, low-invest and flexible. In: 18th International Conference on Automotive and
Mechanical Engineering. ICAME 2016, Sydney, Australia (2016)
Agile Hybrid Assembly Systems: Bridging the Gap … 11
19. Burggräf, P., Dannapfel, M., Adlon, T., Riegauf, A., Müller, K., Fölling, C.: Agile Montage
- Montageplanung und -system als integrale Bestandteile der Fabrikplanung. 109, 622–627
(2019)
20. Burggräf, P., Dannapfel, M., Adlon, T., Riegauf, A., Schukat, E., Schuster, F.: Optimization
approach for the combined planning and control of an agile assembly system for electric
vehicles. In: Nyhuis, P., Herberger, D., Hübner, M. (eds.) Proceedings of the 1st Conference
on Production Systems and Logistics (CPSL 2020), pp. 137–146 (2020)
21. Jacobson, I., Ericsson, M., Jacobson, A.: The object advantage. Business process reengineer-
ing with object technology. Series: ACM Press books, Wokingham, England: Addison-Wesley
(1995)
22. Bruegge, B., Dutoit, A.H.: Object-oriented software engineering. Using UML, patterns, and
Java, 3rd edn. Prentice Hall, Boston (2010)
23. Jacobson, I.: Object-oriented software engineering. A use case driven approach. Repr.
Addison-Wesley, Harlow (1992)
Economic Feasibility of Highly Adaptable
Production Systems
3 Approach
To periodically allocate occurring costs during the use of a configuration the model
shown in Fig. 1 was developed. The observation period can be freely selected. The
incurring costs are determined based on a component-wise evaluation of residual values
at the end of each period. The occurrence of an adaption leads to a reduction of the
residual value if components of the system are no longer required. This procedure was
chosen because within highly adaptable production system it is very likely that most
components can be reused, thus minimizing the number of obsolete components. As an
outcome of the economic evaluation and foundation for an investment decision the NPV
was chosen. It is determined in six steps.
14 U. Leberle and Y.-L. Weigelt
In the first step, an analysis of possible production scenarios as well as the definition of
general production conditions must be executed. The goal of the analysis is to determine
key data like the annual quantity of units or product variants that are expected within
the observation period. To set up a scenario funnel and to be able to consider possible
future developments, worst- and best-case scenarios must be determined in addition to
the forecast scenario [13, 14]. The production conditions include general production
data like the shift model, the working days per year or the payment rate of workers.
The subject of the second step is the planning of the production system. This includes
capacity planning by determining the production resources, such as type and number
of machines and workstations, the linking in-between and the number of employees
required for the production system in each period. The planning is based on the scenarios
developed before, the required process technology and the assembly sequence.
In the next step the reconfiguration potential of the production system is determined
according to Heger [2], allowing to estimate the share of components of a production
system that can be adapted to new products, processes or technologies regarding certain
conditions such as robot payload or dimensions of the assembly cell. However, Heger’s
method was reduced to essential aspects to evaluate the resources of a production system.
The value of a plant object, such as a production resource or an entire production system,
results from the sum of the individual normalized and weighted reconfiguration potential
values of the system components of the object under consideration.
The fourth step involves the periodic compilation of costs arising in each period. This
is done according to the LCC method presented within the VDMA 36160 guideline using
the description model presented above. The costs of a period At consist of acquisition
costs EK t , operating costs BK t and liquidation costs VK t (see Eq. 1).
At = EK t + BK t + VK t (1)
The acquisition costs EK t include investment costs for machinery equipment and
tools as well as engineering and start-up costs. The operation costs BK t comprise for
example worker, area and energy costs. The liquidation costs VK t consist of the disposal
costs, the residual value of the production resources and other possible liquidation costs.
Depending on the availability of data as well as the analyzed object and the degree of
abstraction, the scope of considered costs can be adjusted as required. In the case of
an adaption between two consecutive periods according to Stähr [6], the residual value
RW t results from the sum of the products of the reconfiguration potential values WP y of
Economic Feasibility of Highly Adaptable Production Systems 15
the plant objects y and their present value BW y,t at the end of the corresponding period
(see Eq. 2). If no adaption takes place between the individual periods, the residual value
of the production resources RW t is the sum of the book values of all plant objects used
at the end of the period under consideration.
z
RW t = WP y ∗ BW y,t (2)
y=1
In the fifth step, the NPV of the production system is calculated based on the costs
occurring in each period. It results from the sum of all incoming and outgoing payments
per period within the observation period, discounted to the time of consideration.
In the last step, the results of the evaluation method are to be checked for accuracy
and stability by means of a local sensitivity analysis [15]. By examining the dependence
of the planning variants on changes in the production environment or on assumptions
made initially, the resulting investment decision can be secured.
4 Example of Application
The application of the developed method is demonstrated by comparing a fluid manufac-
turing system (FLMS) with a designated manufacturing line (DML) using an exemplary
product and quantity scenario. FLMS can be specified as highly adaptable production
systems characterized by the ability to adapt and change dynamically to cope with
challenges from increasingly volatile markets.
The comparison is based on a simple demo product. The product is composed of a
housing with cover, a printed circuit board (PCB) and a battery holder which is mounted
in the housing. While the mounting of the PCB and the battery holder are automated,
the remaining processes are carried out at a manual workstation. These steps include
inserting the batteries into the holder, connecting the wire to the PCB, flashing the soft-
ware, adjusting the integrated potentiometer and final testing and mounting the housing
with the customer label attached. It is assumed that the product will be available in three
variants within a period of ten years. For product variant A all components are fixed by
screws in the housing. A second product variant B is launched replacing parts of the
screwing process with a bonding process and with a faster flashing of the software to
achieve shorter cycle times and cheaper process costs for high quantities. Later, enabled
by a technological innovation, variant C is launched including a friction welding process
to further enhance the mounting and an automatic adjustment of the integrated poten-
tiometer. However, the production of previous variants must be continued for a certain
time. The assumed scenario (see Fig. 3) results from the four periods of the economic
cycle (expansion, boom, recession, depression) and other expected fluctuations. As gen-
eral conditions for the production in Germany 17 shifts per week with 7 working hours
each shift and 272 working days per year were assumed. The respective batch numbers
to be produced were set to be constant at 3000 units for product variant A, 1000 units
for variant B and 2500 units for variant C.
An automatic assembly cell in the form of the highly adaptable CESA3R system
[16] as well as the modular manual working station Active-Assist of Bosch Rexroth
and a flexible linking with intermediate buffers are used in the FLMS. The modular
16 U. Leberle and Y.-L. Weigelt
Investment cost Operating cost Cycle time [s] Setup time [min]
Configuration Equipment Engineering Start-up Personnel Area Product Product
[€] [€] [€] [€/P*a] [€/m²*a] A B C A B C
CESA³R Screwing 100.000 € 96 30
FLMS
Fig. 2. Investment- and operating cost & cycle and setup time for DML and FLMS
Using the evaluation approach by Heger [2] the reconfiguration potential of the DML
was rated with 30%. Due to reduced product commitment the FLMS configuration is
highly adaptable but product specific requirements like the fixing equipment are limiting
the reconfiguration potential at 90%.
Figure 3 shows the total costs of both production concepts and the quantity of the
three product variants produced in each period of the example scenario. The initially
lower costs of the FLMS result from the significantly smaller scaling steps per module.
Combined with the faster start-up time this increases the degree of utilization of the
FLMS for small piece numbers. On the other hand, at high production numbers many
Economic Feasibility of Highly Adaptable Production Systems 17
modules must be purchased and operated because of the required capacity. This reduces
the economic efficiency of the FLMS with increasing quantities and explains its higher
cost in the seventh period compared to the DML. The high costs of the DML in the third
period result from an extraordinary depreciation that is incurred in this period because
of the change of technology by the introduction of the friction welding process at the
transition from the third to the fourth period. The FLMS can reuse most of the existing
components which leads to reduced acquisition costs. Whereas the DML reaches its full
potential in the seventh period due to optimal utilization it lacks the ability to adapt to
the decrease in quantity in period eight. The FLMS concept can handle the changes in
a more sufficient way and enables the production to operate sustainable even when the
number of produced units is declining.
1400 900.000
1200 800.000
700.000
Quantity [units/a]
1000 DML
600.000
Cost [T€/a]
Fig. 3. Periodic cost analysis and accumulated quantity for DMS and FLMS
According to the periodic costs of this exemplary scenario, FLMS may be a more
suitable alternative than DML. The accumulated NPV difference regarding an internal
rate on return of 9% is 1.075.473 e. The difference in economic sustainability mainly
results from the ability of FLMS to react more cost-efficient to fluctuations in quantity
or the introduction of new products and technologies.
In the sensitivity analysis the reconfiguration potential value as well as the planning
and start-up times were varied exemplarily, and a more intense development of the
extreme scenarios was analyzed. It could be shown that the stability of the output variable
is guaranteed in relation to the considered input variables. Nevertheless, the variation
resulted in changes, which prove the influence of the selected input variables.
The presented method allows to compare the economic feasibility of FLMS and DML.
Due to the reconfiguration potential value determined according to Heger and the recon-
figuration costs calculated therefrom according to Stähr, the adaption capability has a
direct influence on the overall evaluation result. The developed description model allows
the application of the LCC method for each individual period by describing it as a closed
operating state with cost of acquisition, operation and liquidation. As a result, it is pos-
sible to consider the short-term and dynamic combination of resources in production
systems and to analyze the profitability in an uncertain production environment over a
variable observation period. Depending on requirements, the method can also be used to
18 U. Leberle and Y.-L. Weigelt
develop several scenarios with deviating forecasts, which can then be examined with the
sensitivity analysis for their stability regarding varied input parameters. The determined
NPVs can be compared in a results matrix to describe the situation under uncertainty.
Depending on the risk tolerance of the management a suitable option can be chosen [19].
The application of the method to the exemplary product and quantity scenario resulted
in the following findings for the comparison of FLMS and DML. The fast start-up time
and the possibility of scaling in small steps increase the efficiency of the FLMS compared
to the DML for low volumes significantly. This makes it possible to reduce the required
capacities resulting in a reduction of the necessary acquisition costs. Even in the case
of a technology or a product change, the individual acquisition costs are significantly
lower for the FMLS than for the DML. On the other hand, the low scaling effect reduces
the cost-effectiveness of FLMS at high volumes.
Acknowledgements. The research presented in this paper has received partial funding under
administration of the Project Management Agency (PTKA) inside the research campus
ARENA2036. Our sincere thanks go to the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF)
for supporting this research project by the grant agreement 02P18Q625.
References
1. Fechter, M., Dietz, T., Bauernhansl, T.: Cost calculation model for reconfigurable, hybrid
assembly systems. In: 2019 IEEE 15th International Conference on Automation Science and
Engineering (CASE), pp. 836–841
2. Heger, C.L.: Bewertung der Wandlungsfähigkeit von Fabrikobjekten. Dissertation, Univ.,
Hannover, 2006. PZH, Garbsen (2007) (Berichte aus dem IFA 2007, 1)
Economic Feasibility of Highly Adaptable Production Systems 19
3. Wiendahl, H.-P., ElMaraghy, H.A., Nyhuis, P., Zäh, M.F., Duffie, N., Brieke, M.: Changeable
manufacturing – classification, design and operation. CIRP Ann. 56(2), 783–809 (2007)
4. Möller, N.: Bestimmung der Wirtschaftlichkeit wandlungsfähiger Produktionssysteme. Dis-
sertation, Techn. Univ. Utz, München (2008) (Forschungsberichte IWB, 212)
5. Schuh, G., Harre, J., Gottschalk, S., Kampker, A.: Design for changeability (DFC): Das
richtige Maß an Wandlungsfähigkeit finden. wt Werkstatttechnik online 94(4), 100–106
(2004)
6. Stähr, T.: Methodik zur Planung und Konfigurationsauswahl skalierbarer Montagesysteme Ein
Beitrag zur skalierbaren Automatisierung. Dissertation, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie,
Karlsruhe (2020) (Shaker: wbk Institut für Produktionstechnik)
7. Eilers, J.: Methodik zur Planung skalierbarer und konfigurierbarer Montagesysteme. Disser-
tation, Techn. Univ., München. Utz, München (2008) (Forschungsberichte IWB 212)
8. Bauernhansl, T., Fechter, M., Dietz, T. (eds.): Entwicklung, Aufbau und Demonstration einer
wandlungsfähigen (Fahrzeug-) Forschungsproduktion, 1st edn., pp. 1–4. Springer, Berlin
(2020)
9. VDMA-Einheitsblatt VDMA34160: Prognosemodell für die Lebenszykluskosten von
Maschinen und Anlagen
10. Schweiger, S. (ed.): Lebenszykluskosten optimieren: Paradigmenwechsel für Anbieter und
Nutzer von Investitionsgütern, 1st edn. Gabler, Wiesbaden (2009)
11. Pachow-Frauenhofer, J.: Planung veränderungsfähiger Montagesysteme. Dissertation, Univ.
PZH, Garbsen (2012) (Berichte aus dem IFA 2012, 1)
12. Dietz, T., Fechter, M.: Einleitung. In: Bauernhansl, T., Fechter, M., Dietz, T. (eds.) Entwick-
lung, Aufbau und Demonstration einer wandlungsfähigen (Fahrzeug-) Forschungsproduktion,
1st edn., pp. 5–10. Springer, Berlin (2020) (ARENA2036)
13. Mietzner, D.: Strategische Vorausschau und Szenarioanalysen: Methodenevaluation und neue
Ansätze, p. 117 ff. Gabler, Wiesbaden (2009)
14. Reibnitz, U.: Szenario-Technik: Instrumente für die unternehmerische und persönliche
Erfolgsplanung, 2nd edn., p. 23 ff. Gabler, Wiesbaden (1992)
15. Siebertz, K., Van Bebber, D., Hochkirchen, T.: Statistische Versuchsplanung: Design of
Experiments (DoE), p. 247 ff. Springer, Heidelberg (2010) (VDI-Buch)
16. Vorderer, M., Junker, S., Lechler, A., Verl, A.: CESA3 R: highly versatile plug-and-produce
assembly system. In: 2016 IEEE International Conference on Automation Science and
Engineering (CASE), pp. 745–750
17. Bauernhansl, T., Fechter, M., Dietz, T. (eds.): Entwicklung, Aufbau und Demonstration einer
wandlungsfähigen (Fahrzeug-) Forschungsproduktion, 1st edn., pp. 145–157. Springer, Berlin
(2020) (ARENA 2036)
18. Koo, C.H., Schröck, S., Vorderer, M., Richter J., Verl, A.: A model-based and software-
assisted safety assessment concept for reconfigurable PnP-systems. In: 53rd CIRP Conference
on Manufacturing System (2020)
19. Wöhe, G., Döring, U.: Einführung in die allgemeine Betriebswirtschaftslehre, 25., überar-
beitete und aktualisierte edn., pp. 88–96. Vahlen, München (2013)
Reconfiguration of Production Equipment
of Matrix Manufacturing Systems
More than 100 years after introducing the assembly line by Ford, most production
systems still follow the principles of line and tact dependency. However, for years now, an
increase of product variants can be observed [1], which challenge rigidly-linked assembly
lines [2]. Accordingly, there is research on new production systems, based on cyber-
physical systems dissolving the line characteristic with tact time dependency [3–5]. In
manufacturing as well as in assembly, a concept following this approach is the so-called
matrix manufacturing system (MMS). It consists of flexibly linked process modules
providing the functionalities [6]. That allows an individual flow of each product through
the system and thereby provides process and product flexibility [7]. So far, several initial
planning approaches for matrix production systems exist [6, 8, 9]. As in all manufacturing
and assembly planning processes, a prediction of the production program is an important
input value. The capacity planning and alignment of the production resources is based
on that. The in that way designed system is optimized to the forecasted production
program. However, it is very likely that after implementing and operating the system the
composition of the production program will be quite different. Especially, in production
programs with many variants it is very likely that the composition changes. Accordingly,
the requirements on the system will change. This affects the time required for production
resources as well as flows of process sequences. Actually, due to its flexibility, the MMS
could still manufacture the products but with lower efficiency.
The changeability enablers modularity, scalability and mobility [10] can be seen
as immanent properties of a MMS. Accordingly, it is seen as highly changeable [2,
4]. The present paper describes the options for changing MMS while focusing mainly
on reconfiguration. Furthermore, it shows how reconfiguration can be used to adapt a
MMS to changed requirements caused by varying production programs to maintain and
increase its efficiency. Therefore, a method based on the feedback control technique is
outlined.
Flexibility
2 Cell
Reconfigurability
Flexibility
1 Staon
Change Over Ability
Fig. 1. Hierarchy of production with corresponding changeability classes, extract, based on [12]
column-wise by the need for adaptions which are ability, sequence and capacity. The lines
structure them regarding the changeability classes flexibility and reconfigurability. Table
1 focuses on system level, Table 2 on cell level. Station level is not further considered
since there are no MMS-specific options of change. More detailed information can be
found in Trierweiler et al. [13].
increase or maintain the efficiency of the system? How can a better configuration of the
system be derived and implemented? In fact, these questions can be summarized in the
demand for a method detecting inefficiencies caused by the configuration of the system
and designs a reconfiguration to maintain and increase efficiency. The following chapter
introduces the feedback control technique as a meta model to solve this question. In
addition, it shows how it can be applied to adapt production entities.
2) Determination of required
Guidelines by management
reconfiguration
(reference variable)
(controller)
3) Designing of
1) Measuring of indicators reconfiguration
(actuator)
Indicators Reconfiguration
Configuration of MMS
(controlled system)
Output values Input values
Fig. 2. Feedback control technique applied to reconfigure the production equipment of MMS
a repositioning of modules can be useful. The waste class waiting indicates needed
capacity adaptions. It can be divided into waiting time related to orders and related to
resources. On the one hand, order-related waiting time can indicate a too low capacity
of a certain process inside the MMS. Accordingly, adding an additional resource with
that functionality into the system can decrease that waste. On the other hand, downtimes
of production resources due to missing orders can indicate an overcapacity of a certain
process. In case this process is represented by more than one resource, taking out one
of the resources could decrease the overcapacity. Furthermore, KPI, which are given by
the management, need to be captured.
Secondly, after defining the certain indicators and KPI the recording of those needs to
be specified. Therefore, order and production resource-related data need to be acquired.
Data sources can be ERP and MES as well as additional sensor systems, specialized in
monitoring assembly systems as described by Kärcher [22]. Thereby, a system-specific
so-called digital shadow can be implemented, providing the needed data for optimizing
the system via reconfiguration.
3) Designing of Reconfiguration
After the decision about the reconfiguration, it needs to be concretely designed. For
example, when elements are to be repositioned and additional elements should get
implemented, it has to be decided about the new locations. Since this should be done by
ensuring a production with minimum waste and a maximum adherence to the reference
KPI as well as keeping the effort for reconfiguration lower as the potential benefits,
this question can be seen as a multi-criterial optimization task. Optimization approaches
applied to production-related questions can be found in [23–25]. In addition, applying
machine learning techniques seem promising. After designing a new reconfiguration it
should be modelled in a material flow simulation to validate the effectiveness. When the
results of the simulation prove the advantageousness of the reconfiguration the respon-
sible workshop managers should finally assess it and create a reconfiguration schedule.
Finally, they can instruct the set-up staff to implement the changes physically in the
production system.
Here, the control as well as the optimization loop close and the operating system can
be monitored and optimized all over again in the following production period.
References
1. Schuh, G. (ed.): Produktkomplexität managen, 3rd edn. Hanser, München (2017)
2. Bauernhansl, T.: 23. Deutscher Materialfluss-Kongress. Mit Fachkonferenz Automobillogis-
tik; TU München, Garching, 20. und 21. März 2014. In: 23. Deutscher Materialfluss-Kongress,
vol. 2232, pp. 269–276
3. Bauernhansl, T.: Wandlungsfähige Automobilproduktion der Zukunft. https://publica.fraunh
ofer.de/eprints/urn_nbn_de_0011-n-5590909.pdf. Accessed 7 July 2020
4. Kern, W., Rusitschka, F., Kopytynski, W., Keckl, S., Bauernhansl, T.: Alternatives to assembly
line production in the automotive industry. In: 23rd International Conference for Production
Research, ICPR (2015)
5. Foith-Förster, P., Bauernhansl, T.: Changeable assembly systems through flexibly linked pro-
cess modules. In: Roberto TETI (ed.) Procedia CIRP. Research and Innovation in Manufactur-
ing: Key Enabling Technologies for the Factories of the Future, pp. 230–235 (2016). https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2015.12.124
6. Greschke, P.: Matrix-Produktion als Konzept einer taktunabhängigen Fließfertigung. Disser-
tation, Technische Universität Braunschweig (2016)
7. Greschke, P., Schönemann, M., Thiede, S., Herrmann, C.: Matrix structures for high vol-
umes and flexibility in production systems. In: ElMaraghy, H. (ed.) Procedia CIRP. Variety
Management in Manufacturing, pp. 160–165 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2014.
02.040
8. Foith-Förster, P., Bauernhansl, T.: Changeable and reconfigurable assembly systems – a
structure planning approach in automotive manufacturing. In: Bargende, M., Reuss, H.-C.,
Wiedemann, J. (eds.) 15. Internationales Stuttgarter Symposium, pp. 1173–1192. Springer
Fachmedien Wiesbaden, Wiesbaden (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-08844-6_81
9. Kern, W., Rusitschka, F., Bauernhansl, T.: Planning of workstations in a modular automotive
assembly system. In: Westkämper, E., Bauernhansl, T. (eds.) Editorial 49th CIRP International
Conference on Manufacturing Systems (CIRP CMS), pp. 327–332 (2016). https://doi.org/10.
1016/j.procir.2016.11.057
10. Wiendahl, H.-P., Wiendahl, H.-H.: Betriebsorganisation für Ingenieure, 9th edn. Hanser,
München (2020)
11. Westkämper, E., Zahn, E.: Wandlungsfähige Produktionsunternehmen. Springer, Berlin
(2009)
12. ElMaraghy, H.A. (ed.): Changeable and Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems. Springer,
London (2009)
13. Trierweiler, M., Foith-Förster, P., Bauernhansl, T.: Changeability of matrix assembly systems.
In: CIRP Proceedings. Conference on Manufacturing Systems (2020)
Reconfiguration of Production Equipment … 27
14. Schiemenz, B.: Komplexität von Produktionssystemen. In: Kern, W. (ed.) Enzyklopädie der
Betriebswirtschaftslehre. Handwörterbuch der Produktionswirtschaft, 2nd edn., pp. 899–900.
Schäffer-Poeschel, Stuttgart (1996)
15. REFA: Planung und Gestaltung komplexer Produktionssysteme, 2nd edn. Methodenlehre der
Betriebsorganisation. Hanser, München (1990)
16. Ashby, W.R.: Introduction to Cybernetics. Chapman & Hal, London and Becclesl (1961)
17. Ropohl, G.: Allgemeine Technologie. Eine Systemtheorie der Technik. KIT Scientific
Publishing, Karlsruhe (2009)
18. DIN Deutsches Institut für Normung e. V.: International Electrotechnical Vocabulary. Part 351:
Control Technology. Beuth Verlag GmbH, Berlin 01.040.35; 01.040.29; 35.240.50; 29.020
(DIN IEC 60050–351) (2013)
19. Nofen, D.: Regelkreisbasierte Wandlungsprozesse der modularen Fabrik. Berichte aus dem
IFA, 2006, vol. 1. PZH, Produktionstechn. Zentrum, Garbsen (2006)
20. Azab, A., ElMaraghy, H., Nyhuis, P., Pachow-Frauenhofer, J., Schmidt, M.: Mechanics of
change: a framework to reconfigure manufacturing systems. CIRP J. Manuf. Sci. Technol.
(2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cirpj.2012.12.002
21. Ohno, T.: Das Toyota-Produktionssystem. Campus, New York (2005)
22. Kärcher, S., Bauernhansl, T. (eds.): Approach to generate optimized assembly sequences from
sensor data. In: 52nd CIRP Conference on Manufacturing Systems (2019)
23. Bogatzki, A.: Fabrikplanung. Verfahren zur Optimierung der Maschinenaufstellung. Disser-
tation, Univ., Wuppertal. Theorie und Forschung, vol. 534. Roderer, Regensburg (1998)
24. Kettner, H., Schmidt, J., Greim, H.-R. (eds.): Leitfaden der systematischen Fabrikplanung.
Mit zahlreichen Checklisten. Hanser, München (2010)
25. Krüger, T.: Entwicklung einer Gesamtmethodik zur Kombination von mathematischer
Anordnungsoptimierung und Materialflusssimulation für die Produktionslayoutplanung,
Universitätsbibliothek Der TU Clausthal (2019)
A User-friendly Planning Tool for
Assembly Sequence Optimization
Today, companies face the challenge of reducing assembly costs, which account
for 20–70% of the total manufacturing costs depending on the domain [1]. In the
manufacturing sector automation is demanding, since assembling geometrically
complex components is difficult. This paper describes a framework for the indi-
vidual planning and design of assembly processes in the form of a graph-based
design language. All possible assembly options are compared, evaluated and an
optimal solution is derived automatically. To provide the required input in the
form of a Petri net, a user-friendly GUI was implemented.
Assembling
2 Implementation
For the implementation of the user-friendly planning tool for assembly sequence
optimization two elementary building blocks are combined in a framework: A
graphical user interface (GUI) for Petri net input definition and a core GBDL
for model execution and optimization. The core GBDL consists of a Unified
Modeling Language (UML) based representation of Petri nets and assembly
systems (see Sect. 1.2), an executable rule-based activity diagram for model-to-
model transformation into a design graph and lastly the optimization code.
On the upper left side you can see the Petri net class diagram. It becomes
apparent that a Place is always a representation of a product entity which can be
a single component, a module (assembly of two or more components) or the final
product. For this purpose the attribute category can be set to COMPONENT,
MODULE or PRODUCT. The class Transition represents any assembly pro-
cess. The dependency between a transition and the given assembly systems class
diagram is enforced using predefined group and subgroup attributes. The val-
ues they can take are directly linked to the assembly systems ontology. The
Transition class also has a nextTransition association, which is used to build
up the search tree when using the depth first search.
On the right hand side of Fig. 3 the implemented activity diagram containing
the GUI call, the model transformation into a design graph and the optimization
algorithm is shown. The diamond-shaped symbol stands for a decision node that
ensures that the program will run without executing the following rules if the
GUI is closed without further instructions. The TransferData subprogram reads
all data from the GUI and performs the transformation. This is done by multiple
instantiations of the aforementioned classes and associations.
A User-friendly Planning Tool for Assembly Sequence Optimization 33
The result is a so called design graph, where each node represents an object
and each edge represents a link between two objects. The design graph is shown
in Fig. 3 on the left hand side of the bottom window. The Optimization subpro-
gram contains a simple depth first search optimization and creates a search tree
as can be seen on the right hand side of the lower window. This tree represents
all successful2 assembly sequences implied in the Petri net. At the same time
the optimization is done by evaluating and comparing measures of interest for
all sequences. The Optimization sub program can be extended easily.
In the future more efficient search methods can be integrated here. However
the possibilities go far beyond a simple search of the Petri net. The rule-based
structure makes it possible to delete, add or replace entire parts of the design
graph. Since the rules are able to automatically identify certain parts of the
graph, further heuristics can be implemented to restructure the graph and opti-
mize it in this way. The presented framework combines the following advantages:
– The framework is based on UML: The UML is the dominant language for
modeling software systems. It ensures a manageable and clear representation
of data through the integration of standardized hierarchical structures.
– The execution of the framework is rule based: The rule-based structure
enables a completely new type of optimization, since the given Petri net can
be completely restructured within an optimization heuristic.
– The model is represented as a graph: The graph representation allows the
application of all graph algorithms already existing in literature.
– The framework is implemented as GBDL: GBDLs can be formulated for any
domain. They are equally suited for the representation of the product to be
produced or the manufacturing resources. If further GBDLs are available for
these domains, the assembly planning can easily be linked to them.
– The framework enables the integration of a GUI: Users of the framework not
necessarily need to have knowledge about GBDLs. This is only required if the
framework shall be extended.
2.3 Workflow
2
In this context successful means that a product could be produced under the given
conditions.
Another Random Document on
Scribd Without Any Related Topics
Sicilien gebracht. Der Corduan, der Saffian, das Chagrinleder und
die Juchten gaben ein vortreffliches Material für Bucheinbände ab.
Der Corduan (so nach der Stadt Cordova, von den Franzosen
Maroquin, von den Engländern Morocco genannt) ist ein narbiges
Ziegenleder, von dem sich der Saffian nur durch seine Glätte
unterscheidet. Der Chagrin (persisch Sagre) ist wie mit runden
Körnchen übersät, was durch Hineintreten von Samenkörnern
hervorgebracht wird. Juchten ist meist Rinds- oder Pferdeleder,
welches mit Laugen, Beizen und Farbstoffen behandelt und durch
Birkenöl geschmeidig gemacht wird.
ZWEITES BUCH.
DER
BUCHDRUCKERKUNST
1500—1750.
EINFÜHRUNG IN DAS ZWEITE BUCH. [←]
Diese Hinneigung zum Holzschnitt war nicht dem Zufall oder nur
der Bequemlichkeit, für ihn zu zeichnen, zuzuschreiben, sondern sie
lag in den Verhältnissen tiefer begründet. Es konnte nicht anders
sein, als dass die Maler der Reformationszeit, welche Zeugen der
Segnungen der Erfindung Gutenbergs waren, die populärste Kunst,
die Xylographie, deren Erzeugnisse so leicht und so weit durch die
Druckerpresse verbreitet werden konnten, freudig begrüssen und
begierig eine Gelegenheit ergreifen würden, durch welche auch sie
berufen waren, an dem grossen Werke der Reformation thätig
mitzuwirken.
Somit war ein grosser Teil des zweiten und des dritten
Jahrhunderts der Buchdruckerkunst eine, dieser sehr ungünstige
Zeit, in der sie nothwendigerweise leiden musste, und erst das vierte
Jahrhundert sollte sie zum neuen Glanz wieder erstehen sehen.