Ontology-Based Analysis of Manufacturing Processes: Lessons Learned from the Case Study of Wire Harness Production

Abstract

Effective information management is critical for the development of manufacturing processes. This paper aims to provide an overview of ontologies that can be utilized in building Industry 4.0 applications. The main contributions of the work are that it highlights ontologies that are suitable for manufacturing management and recommends the multilayer-network-based interpretation and analysis of ontology-based databases. This article not only serves as a reference for engineers and researchers on ontologies but also presents a reproducible industrial case study that describes the ontology-based model of a wire harness assembly manufacturing process.

Evaluation of a multi-user requirements axiomatic design decision support tool for manufacturing process selection

“…Formal knowledge plays a critical role in supporting MPS during the initial stages of design (Lee, 1992) particularly in knowledge-based approaches. Ontology-based methodologies, such as that proposed by Nagy et al (2021), revolve around identifying process elements and utilising knowledge graphs to model information pertaining to different processes through the use of semantic web applications. Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) has also been noted to facilitate MPS (Mabkhot et al, 2019) by structuring process knowledge within ontologies and to evaluate lessons learnt in manufacturing.…”

“…Meanwhile, they facilitate graphical representation of processes and capabilities by providing visual information to designer in terms of tolerances, surface finish, part weight, wall thicknesses and material specifications, captured within the ontology. Nonetheless, ontology based models such as those developed by Nagy et al (2021) and Mabkhot et al (2019) do not prioritise part application and process relevance. Additionally, modifications and alterations in customer requirements and product specifications during the design process are not reflected within the OBS, whilst only the designer-user is considered whose expertise in the field of ontologies is expected.…”

The human-centric Industry 5.0 collaboration architecture

“…An ontology-based development framework is visualized in Fig. 1 , where the three main steps are data collection, ontology modeling, and the so-called advanced manufacturing analytics [ 10 ]. Semantic technologies can be combined not only with manufacturing-related analytic tools, but with industrial standards and specific Industry 5.0 technologies, which can facilitate the creation of a human-centered knowledge graph [ 11 ].…”

“…Several semantic web methodologies and systems are studied and tested [ [10] , [18] ], suitable to implement the semantic framework for a manufacturing plant: PoolParty [ 19 ], Oxford Semantics, and Ontotext. The aim is to find the ideal operational platform that provides the best user interface for creating and updating plant taxonomy and ontology.…”

The Formal Graph of APRDF

“…Several previous works show the importance of the formal graph model of RDF. The formal graph was proven needed in the retrieval process [19] [20] and valuable in storage management. Ontology as graph uses a graph model for ontology matching [21] [22], an essential step in data integration.…”