Modeling of interdependencies between products, processes and resources to support the evolution of mechatronic systems

Due to different trends in manufacturing, existing mechatronic systems, such as automated manufacturing machines, are obliged to evolve in order to cope with a quickly changing environment. The evolution of mechatronic systems is achieved by adaptation processes, where changes in the physical structure of a system and/or its automation software are performed. An important phase of an adaptation process is the modeling and analysis of existing interdependencies between system elements which serve as a basis for subsequent adaptation phases. However, current modeling approaches mostly focus on single system element types and do not regard the holistic system, i.e., products, processes and resources. Accordingly, in this contribution a concept for modeling interdependencies between products, processes and resources is proposed with the aim of providing a solid data base for the generation of adaption options. The application of the concept is demonstrated by an illustrative example of a pick-and-place unit.