Current impulses in design methodology for intelligent manufacturing systems.

Seminsky, Jaroslav ; Wessely, Emil

1. INTRODUCTION

Environment around us has from greater part artificial origin--it was created by activity of human. Objects made like product of industrial production (Kusiak, 1990), (Warnecke, 1992) create the great part of human environment (Kosturiak, 2000). Character of these objects is casual (Gregor at al., 1997), they were made with some goal to fulfil some before stated conditions (functional, aesthetic, technologic, ...), Solving that problem is identified as constructive problem.

New aspects have influence at solving of the constructive problem now: the turbulences in the corporate environment and the needs for adaptation and learning technical systems and new tools such as modelling and collaborative approach in designing tools.

2. CONSTRUCTIVE PROBLEM

On the one hand the constructive problem can be characterised like definition needs of human to technical object so way that it would have defined parameters in near future. So that is not chaotic, random activity but it is planed systematic activity of human.

Solving of so problem is very strong as at beginning it is not clear how way we can fulfil defined parameters. On the other hand it is significant for advance technical objects that their structure is from many heterogeneous subsystems. Present industrial product is made from combination of mechanical, electrical, electronic (hardware and software) components. Products have more or less smart function (Madarasz et al., 2006). This smart function is result of synergetic effect of above-mentioned components. Functional and structural diversity of design components results to request of another like mechanistic access. Conceptions of so-called mechatronic access (Isermann, 2005) passed over certain development to present time. Historical oldest access use solving of constructive problem so way that function and structural subsystems are solved individually at serial engineering conditions (Janicek & Ondracek, 1998). This means that design is made via solving functional, geometrical or power characteristics and later manufacturing, assembly or operation problems are solved (Armeanau & Doicin, 2002). As for mechatronic objects the complex function is characteristic achieve by integrated innovative and coordinated design of elements and relations of mechanical, electrotechnical and control subsystems that have to be integrated also at horizontal plane (Tichkiewitch & Brissaud, 2004).

For a long time, engineering design research has been focused on the development of various design theories, methodologies, methods, tools, and procedures. The design methods have been subsequently used by engineers for more efficiently design of artefacts. However, as the artefacts have grown in complexity, the need for new methods has become obvious. Also, in a nowadays world, increased competition and globalisation require organizations to re-examine traditional product development strategies. Traditional methods focused exclusively on the numerical optimality of produced artefacts, or their manufacturing processes, are no longer adequate. Creativity and innovation of designed artefacts provide organizations not only with a competitive advantage but are, in fact, a matter of their survival.

3. COMPLEXITY AND INTEGRITY

The increasing of complexity and uncertainty (Peklenik, 2001) brings a lot of practical and theoretical difficulties in all domains of designing process. Three major design objectives are usually solved: namely optimality, creativity and robustness. It is not easy to choose approach of solving such problems only by existing principles as analysis and determinism (Hubka, 1987). Instead of traditional analytic, deterministic approaches based on for example top-down problem decomposition, TRIZ, evolutionary computation, cellular automata, knowledge based engineering etc., the more smart approaches are being developed with both the bottom-up and top-down features. There many theoretical works were made based on emergent synthesis (Ueda 2001).

New approach is inspired by biology and called like emergent synthesis (Arciszewski & Kicinger, 2005). The definition of "emergence" varies in such fields as biology, physics, philosophy, etc. From the system-theoretical view point, however, authors use here the "emergence" in the following sense: "a global order which expresses new function, structure, and action is formed through bi-directional dynamic processes where a local interaction of elements reveals a global behaviour and the global behaviour feedback to the local elements as certain constraints". Moreover, this definition implies the property that implicit globality emerges from explicit locality. As for the characteristics of an emergent system, such key words as evolution, adaptation, learning, coordination and interactivity are mentioned. The ways to utilise these concepts as basic mechanisms for solving synthesis problems like synthesis of systems with artificial intelligence, complex technical systems, intelligent manufacturing systems, etc.

4. DESIGN AND MAN-MACHINE INTERFACE

Emergent design tool based on bottom-up and top-down features is good platform from methodology point of view (presently based on multiagent approach frequently); but simulation and visualisation for designer is necessary for decision making in development of solution. Up to this time computers in designing of automated manufacturing systems were used mostly or only for drawing and visualisation of layout (CAD) (Kuric, at al., 2002) and various analytical steps conducted to planning and scheduling. Nowadays we are acting witness of a new class of design tools for mechatronic systems, like IMS are, integrated layout and structural design with simulation and control program generation. Self/ organisation, bionic approach, evolution, robotics and other cross effects from related sciences have influence to development in designing area (Katalinic et al., 2003).

5. CONCLUSION

With regard to design of complex (mechatronic) engineering and technical systems operated in globalised business environment (Katalinic, 2003), as intelligent manufacturing systems are, the necessity of knowledge about designing theory is more and more important from these minimal points of view:

* quick changes on the market and therefore of production conditions resulting in systematic product and production systems innovation. So innovation requires adequate concepts and new engineering concepts supported by corresponding abstract basis,

* new engineering complexes are build like integrated from various components: mechanical, electrical and electronic, optical, maybe bionic sometime in future), what brink new quality but new problems in designing of integrated systems also,

* computer aided design of new products with simple connection to computer aided manufacturing and computer aided process planning are standard in modern production. Implementation of information systems supported production in frame of all product life cycle needs adequate abstract basis of designing.

Therefore new generation of smart design computer aided tools for intelligent manufacturing systems have to be enhanced in the bottom-up and top-down features. Research has to consider for need of more complexity and integrity to be applied. Traditional methods focused exclusively on the numerical optimality of produced artefacts and their manufacturing processes, are no longer adequate. Creativity and innovation of designed artefacts supported by collaborative design tools supported by intelligence methods could provide innovative organizations not only with a competitive advantage but are, in fact, a matter of their survival.

6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Paper was made under grant support of Scientific Grant Agency of Ministry of Education and Slovak Academy of Sciences: VEGA 1/0559/08 "Virtual designing of mechatronic systems".

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