Graduate Course: Research Planning
2nd Assignment of ‘Research Planning Course’- Given by Hans Hansson
Model-based techniques and competence integration within development of complex mechatronic products
Jianlin Shi
KTH, Machine Design
Background
The vehicle industry is experiencing a tendency that more and more functionalities are highly depended on electrical components and software apart from traditional mechanical components. Thus it brings a crucial need for efficient integration of multidisciplinary as well as high degree of competence integration as complexity increases.
Purpose and aim
According to above descriptions, the project’s overall aim is to improve management of the complexity within the development of complex mechatronic system products. It is highly relevant to vehicle industry and other manufacture industries which use mechatronic technology, and devoted to develop knowledge, support methods and prototype tools for effective development of complex mechatronic system products. The status of problems can be attacked from two different but necessary and supplement approaches:
· How to manage technology integration within mechatronic development?
· How to manage the competence integration over disciplines boundaries within mechatronic development?
The project is characterised of that research mixes both technique experienced factors and individual- and organization related factors.
A long-term purpose of the project is that Swedish companies that develop complex composite products shall be improved essentially. This expectation leads to higher growth in the manufacture industry and gives space for new business aspect to IT-support and consults service. Concrete aim for the project in terms of delivered and documented results is:
· Inquiry, documentation and analysis of the current situation by development of one or more complicated system comprehensive functions/ products at VCC.
· Requirement specification in respects of development methodology, development organization and tools support based on above analysis.
· Model framework (abstraction, view, relations) for multi-domain development.
· Methodology for mechatronic system development.
· Methodologies for organizations development including identifying of possibilities and obstacles.
· Prototype tools and description of how these are related to existed commercial tools. The Prototype tools are based on the developed modelling framework.
· Requirement specification in respects to product and model data and their management in coming PDM-system.
All these aims and expected results were general and applicable in a large part of the Swedish manufacture industry.
Definition
Model-based development (MBD), defined as “systematic use of modelling throughout the life cycle to support product development and maintenance” by M. Törngren, where modeller is compatible over domain boundaries and thus provides possibility to co-simulating and integrated system analysis, is the key approach to efficient development of better products. The model based approach also produces the prerequisite for necessary competence integration, which plays the key role in making better use of developments’ resources. According to Ola Larses and Niklas Adamsson [2004], there are three drivers for MBD: maturity, standardization and complexity of the product.
Recently, model-based development is also often referred as Model Driven Engineering (MDE). The Object Management Group has promoted a new model based approach “Model-Driven Architecture” (MDA), which adopt number of technologies such as UML, MOF, specific models, and UML profiles to provide high portability, interoperability and reusability through architectural separation of concerns [OMG, 2001].
Hypothesis
Complexity management and model integration are the central concepts in this project. The mechatronic product is complex and thus requires integration of technologies and competences. This, when combined with requirements on shorter process time and more cost effective development, assumes that elements of modelling and analysis are based on model instead of prototype building. Hypothesis for the project are:
Model-based development, where model is compatible over domain boundaries and thus provides possibility to co-simulating and integrated system analysis, is the key to efficient development of better products. The model based approach also produces the prerequisite for the necessary competence integration, which is the key to make better use of developments’ resources.
Co-operation and Communication
The project is driven by the cooperation with project Integrated products data management for complex products containing embedded system, which is seeking by Mikael Ström, IVF and Prof Johan Malmqvist, Chalmers.
Both project work with problems situation in filed of development of complex products containing embedded system.
Project Integrated products data management for complex products containing embedded systems going to principally attack the problems situation in field of transference management of PDM, products data, information model and system engineering for embedded system. The project is going to attack problems in an overall plan and gradually on the way of requirement from individual functions.
The planed cooperation between KTH and IVF has been initiated partly through VINNOVA’s application process with interest report and partly through earlier information exchange among ITV- projects: ITiV107 embedded system and ITiV228 leading to innovation and durable development (EMP/ITV).
Because the project contains a case study of product development and empirical research on development process, it is expected that development methodology, tool and organizational further development could apply directly at VCC. The project results come to be an important part of Swedish industry and companies have similar problem situations such as VCC, SAAB automobile, Bombardier, Volvo AB, etc.
Hot topics
As we discussed previous, the key conception in MBD of mechatronics is complexity and integration. Therefore, there are two hot topics in this field as listed below:
· Model integration
· information management
State of the art
The research on mechatronic systems has traditionally focused on functionality, performance, and dependability. Since the system increasingly more complex and widely used, complexity and flexibility becomes critical as well.
Related research projects in KTH and partners
KTH Mechatronic has already operated 10 years research in model based development (RTP, 2003), in which including requirement on models (Töngren and Redell, 2000), model framework (Chen and Törngren, 2001), and development of tools prototypes and methodology (El Khoury and Törgren, 2001). KTH Mechatronic also participated in the vehicle project East-EAA (Eureka) which aimed to develop description language for development of embedded system in vehicles. These researches are principally divided into model-based development of mechatronic systems and work methods in such development.
· Codex: To develop a dependable and cost-effective x-by-wire system architecture for safety critical applications in heavy trucks. Focused on Architectural design, keyfigures, design parameters, information management, models and tools. (Ola Larses, Martin Törngren)
· Save: Model and component based development of automotive safety critical software specially a generic multiview system supporting dynamic integration. In cooperation with MDH, LiTH and UU (Hans Hansson).
· AiDA2: Towards a modelling framework and methods for analysis of real-time behaviour in order to support the development of distributed, heterogeneous control systems. (Redell Ola, El-Khoury Jad and Martin Törngren)
· March: To develop a system architecture/framework suitable for embedded distributed computer control systems (Di-Jiu Chen, Martin Törngren)
Other related research:
Because mechatronic products are distinguished by an increasing degree of connection between functions and components and also between components/subsystems in a product, there are huge requirements on harmony between products structure and developments organisational structure. As far as 2001, Eppinger and salminen proposed an idea that three domains product, process, and organisation must be considered when studying complex product development. This connection between domains brings increased possibilities with co-construction, necessity of new competences, and of which potential problem within system integration. These problems have been identified, but not been analysed in detail for mechatronic products (Epping Eppinger et al. 2001, Yan och Sharpe 1994, Gausemeier et al. 2001, Wikander et al. 2001).
Today, Model based development is regarded as a possible solution to theses problems with expensive test and verify, requirement on rapid development and necessity of product renewal. The research in this filed has often a perspective which is restricted to one or one pair disciplines. A summery over the research around model based development within embedded control system gives a roadmap which is taken out of EU-network Artist (Artist 2003). There are similar research efforts in USA (for example, DARPA-project MoBIES 2003). However, many of these projects are restricted to those aspects which have already been considered (for instance. Stress on time correct in MoBIES).
Fundamental research among modelling of complex embedded control system and methodology for this purpose are economical. Interesting exception is the work done by Leveson (2000), Rechtin and Maier (1997). Performed work also around standardising and model format for transference of information between tools. Now this work was developed also for that to including software, see Sedres (2003) and STEP-based standard as AP233 (2003).
To avoid sub-optimization within mechatronic development, the development of different subsystems (corresponding different disciplines) must be taken place simultaneously and integrated. In order to solve this problem, it requires new tools for modelling and simulating, see van Amerongen et at (2000) and Sinha et al (2002). Parameter space will be very large, therefore methodology and tools for integrated synthesis are necessary (Gausemeier et al (2000), Rothfuss, R.et al. (2002)).
In EU’s sixth frame program, it planed an application- one integrated project included KTH mechatronic- with strong relation to model based development and system integration (project is named SEA: “Seamless design space exploration for automotive electronics”).
Research which relates to those questions within the project addressing work methods (processes, organizations form) has mainly showed as technical experience. That’s to say, there are many research projects which focused on technical support for cooperation between separated group (See Coates m fl 2003 or Taminé and Dillman 2003). Even research in “knowledge Management” has focused technique with limited impact, one far too limited sight on knowledge concept. Another relevant research handles rather than cooperation and efficient work form, and therefore can help with theory to support analysis for developing outline. There are more sources supporting necessity of integration between internal operators in a company. There is one strong relation between crossway function cooperation and a successful product development, as confirmed by Griffin (1997), Kahn (2001), and Olson et al (2001). Actual limitation in many of those studied sources are themselves context, for example, cooperate construction/production/market was touched but seldom cooperated among different disciplines.
Modelling tools:
A large number of efforts have been made to improve MBD of automotive products, intending to raise the level of abstraction at which systems are specified and designed, and to provide tools that assist in transferring such designs to operating systems. This progress experienced a change from assembly languages to high-level programming languages and more recently graphical system representation such as Matlab/Simulink and Unified Modeling Language (UML), which are two approaches widely used in MBD. As well, the object oriented concepts of UML are covered by other approaches. Given that UML is given a new version (UML 2.0) as well as new tools, it thus is going to bring a new progress.
Some of other modelling approaches have been discussed from different views mainly differ in the type of approaches being targeted, the coverage and levels of details and the comparison framework. These modelling tools are briefly listed in following: ACME, Lustre, MetaH, Rapid, SDL, Unicon, VCC (Chen DeJiu, 2004, Elkhoury Jad and M. Törngren, 2001, L. Petersson, 2002. P.C. Clements, 1996, R. Wieringa, 1998, N. Medvidovic, and R.N Taylor, 2000).
Related networks and organizations:
SNART, ARTES, ARTIST, IFAC, INCOSE, OMG. See their homepages to find related conferences information.
Approaches
To take this step in integrated products, embedded control system and programs are necessary, but theories, methods, and tools are lacking. The knowledge, especially respect to complex composite products is partly existed but further research efforts are demanded. The Research approach includes five subprojects (DP 1-5) as shown in following:
DP 1. Case study that presents development of one or eventually more complicated system comprehensive functions/products at VCC, specially with efforts on models, model usage, use of competence, tools usage. The study will be completed with existed knowledge to decide what requirements should be put on the modelling framework, development methodology, development organization and tools support.
DP 2. Development of a modelling framework which comprise the most important subsystem and characteristics according to earlier experience (Chen and Törngren, 2001) and based on the case study mentioned above. Modelling framework describes how subsystem, components and property can be structured in a number view (sub-model) which is directly connected to different design and analysis purpose, for example, optimization of function allocation and design of computer architecture with respect to physical properties, performance, security and cost. Framework describes also how this view related to and affects each other, and also defines fundamental concepts and terminology. Modelling frameworks thus constitute the foundation to be able to formalize description of mechatronic system and specify what models should be contained for possible analysis (for example, simulating) and synthesizer (algorithm development) over domain boundary. Industrial case study will be performed to refine existed modelling frameworks. The relation to present research and standardisation activities will be examined (for example: respect to AP233, EastADL, AADL). Then an updated framework will be developed to test in new case studies.
DP 3. Methodology for development of mechatronic system. This methodology is required to facilitate the project planning, decision making, assessment of competence requirement and information transference, to system integration planning, and also to support default searching. Existed experiences around methodology for development of mechatronic products and knowledge about research front in this area will be used to refine a methodology for development of mechatronic products. This will be performed through testing, evaluating and improving present methods in concrete case study.
DP 4. Implementation of one case study of organization form and development processes respecting development of system or subsystem within VCC. The case study will include observation of in disciplines and cross-discipline work groups, and interview. The case study could be complemented with questionnaire over more companies which have similar complex problems. The study comes to describe the current position and embarrassed work method which gives effective improvement by competence integration.