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SysML-based design chain information modeling for variety management in production reconfiguration

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Abstract

Satisfying diverse customer needs leads to proliferation of product variants. It is imperative to model the coherence of functional, product and process varieties throughout the design chain. Based on a model-based systems engineering approach, this paper applies the Systems Modeling Language (SysML) to model design chain information. To support variety management decisions, the SysML-based information models are further implemented as a variety coding information system. A case study of switchgear enclosure production reconfiguration system demonstrates that SysML-based information modeling excels in conducting requirements, structural, behavioral and constraints analysis and in performing trade-off study. In addition, it maintains semantic coherence along the design chain, keeps traceability across different levels of abstraction, thus improving interoperability among heterogeneous tools.

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Correspondence to Dazhong Wu.

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Wu, D., Zhang, L.L., Jiao, R.J. et al. SysML-based design chain information modeling for variety management in production reconfiguration. J Intell Manuf 24, 575–596 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10845-011-0585-6

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