Using Graph-based Design Languages to Enhance the Creation of Virtual Commissioning Models☆

Abstract ‘Industrie 4.0’ based production systems are likely to change the way future products are manufactured. As information technology gains influence on these systems there is a chance of higher flexibility due to decentralized logic and artificial intelligence. All this leads to a higher complexity and also indeterminism is feasible. Therefore simulation technologies will become a mandatory requirement, especially virtual commissioning will get necessary as the amount of software is rising. A lot of manpower is required to establish and maintain a virtual commissioning system as it needs a large database of standard components. Therefore in most cases small- and mid-sized companies are forced to avoid such technologies. Using graph-based design languages to create virtual commissioning models can help to solve this problem. The basic principle is to shape an abstract model of a production system which will then be individually built within the domain specific tools. One of these should be a virtual commissioning tool to evaluate the functionality of the built model. If a change in the design is necessary, the new virtual commissioning model can be regenerated automatically. This approach is even more reasonable, if graph-based design languages are used throughout the whole product life cycle.