A Mapping Approach to Convert MTPs into a Capability and Skill Ontology

TL;DR

This paper presents an automated method to map Module Type Packages (MTPs) into a skill and capability ontology, enabling integration of equipment models across manufacturing domains for improved querying and reasoning.

Contribution

It introduces a novel automated mapping approach that converts MTPs into a unified skill ontology, bridging the gap between process and discrete manufacturing models.

Findings

Enables semantic lifting of MTPs for querying and reasoning.

Facilitates integration of incompatible machine models in production.

Supports cross-domain manufacturing process optimization.

Abstract

Being able to quickly integrate new equipment and functions into an existing plant is a major goal for both discrete and process manufacturing. But currently, these two industry domains use different approaches to achieve this goal. While the Module Type Package (MTP) is getting more and more adapted in practical applications of process manufacturing, so-called skill-based manufacturing approaches are favored in the context of discrete manufacturing. The two approaches are incompatible because their models feature different contents and they use different technologies. This contribution provides a comparison of the MTP with a skill-based approach as well as an automated mapping that can be used to transfer the contents of an MTP into a skill ontology. Through this mapping, an MTP can be semantically lifted in order to apply functions like querying or reasoning. Furthermore, machines that were previously described using two incompatible models can now be used in one production process.