A Generic AutomationML Methodology for Semantic Integration of Production Planning Data for Digital Factory Planning

Abstract

Digital factory planning depends on information from several engineering disciplines, yet production-planning data is often prepared in spreadsheets or application-specific models. Moving this information into downstream planning environments commonly requires manual preparation, which is time-consuming and difficult to trace when source data changes. AutomationML provides a common exchange format, and upstream integration frameworks can consolidate heterogeneous source data into a neutral integrated AML model. However, downstream applications do not necessarily provide AML exchange by default. When a company or vendor implements an AML import plugin, that plugin can require a particular InstanceHierarchy and information arrangement for its intended workflow.

This paper presents a generic transformation framework that prepares integrated AML data for such target import specifications. The framework receives a conformant integrated AML input, selects the relevant tool-family view, and applies an imported AML template. The template is designed for a selected downstream plugin and defines the required hierarchical structural levels. Component assignments use explicit InternalLink relationships, while SystemUnitClass references guide placement within the imported template. The framework preserves attributes, InternalElement content, identity and provenance information, libraries, interfaces, and InternalLink relationships while restructuring containment. An inverse transformation supports conversion back to a flat representation for round-trip engineering data logistics.

A Python prototype provides a web-based workflow for template import, validation, preview, transformation, and export. Evaluation with representative integrated AML models demonstrated conformance to selected target import specifications while preserving the relationship sets. The approach separates upstream semantic integration from downstream structural preparation and enables the same integrated data to serve multiple company-specific planning workflows.