Modern manufacturing processes' increasing complexity and variability demand advanced systems capable of real-time monitoring, adaptability, and data-driven decision-making. This paper introduces a novel runtime condition model to enhance interoperability, data integration, and decision support within intelligent manufacturing environments. The model encapsulates key manufacturing elements, including asset management, relationships, key performance indicators (KPIs), capabilities, data structures, constraints, and configurations. A key innovation is the integration of a knowledge graph enriched with embedding techniques, enabling the inference of missing relationships, dynamic reasoning, and predictive analytics. The proposed model was validated through a case study conducted in collaboration with TQC Automation Ltd., using their MicroApplication Leak Test System (MALT). A dataset of over 9,000 unique test configurations demonstrated the model's capabilities in representing runtime conditions, managing operational parameters, and optimising test configurations. The enriched knowledge graph facilitated advanced analyses, providing actionable insights into test outcomes and enabling proactive decision-making. Empirical results showcase the model's ability to harmonise diverse data sources, infer missing connections, and improve runtime adaptability. This study highlights the potential of combining runtime modelling with knowledge graphs to address the challenges of modern manufacturing. Future research will explore the model's application to additional domains, integration with larger datasets, and the use of machine learning for enhanced predictive capabilities.

In the evolving landscape of modern manufacturing, a novel concept known as Feeding-as-a-Service (FaaS) is emerging, part of the larger Automationas-a-Service (AaaS) framework. FaaS aims to optimize feeding systems in cloud manufacturing environments to meet the demands of mass customization and allow for quick responses to production changes. Therefore, it fits into the Manufacturing as-a-Service (MaaS) system as well. As the manufacturing industry undergoes significant transformations through automation and service-oriented models, understanding how FaaS fits into the other frameworks is essential.This study presents a systematic literature review with two primary objectives: first, to contextualize FaaS within AaaS and MaaS, highlighting similarities, differences,and distinctive characteristics; second, to identify and clarify the essential Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) crucial for its strategic implementation.KPIs are pivotal metrics guiding organizations toward manufacturing excellence.In this context, common KPIs focus on efficiency and quality, such as resource utilization, and error rates. Other KPIs are also crucial, such as the ones related tocost reduction and customer satisfaction. For FaaS, the most relevant include also data security, data management, and network speed.This research provides a valuable KPI framework for FaaS developers, aidingin strategic decision making and deployment in industrial settings. It also contributes to a broader understanding of KPIs in manufacturing, which benefits both researchers and industrial practitioners.The results of the review, though, fail to address other crucial indicators for ‘asa-Service’ business, such as Churn Rate and Total Contract Value. Future research will address these limitations through methods ranging from questionnaires to practitioner interviews, with the aim of gathering the knowledge needed for real-world implementations.

This study, conducted with Northvolt, examines battery system recyclability and disassembly dynamics. It introduces indices for material and product recyclability, along with disassembly time assessment. The goal is to create a design tool to streamline the evaluation of battery disassembly, aiding in designing recyclable and serviceable components. These methodologies serve as a blueprint for enhancing battery systems' overall sustainability and circularity design, presenting a base for future product development in alignment with environmental and economic objectives.

This paper explores the qualification of a digital twin (DT) for a mobile manipulator (MOMA) in industrial applications. We discuss the development of different DT models based on various industrial needs and highlight the dependence of model accuracy on online sensor precision. Limitations of DTs for MOMA are examined, including challenges in respecting qualifiers due to the inability to incorporate unstructured aspects of the factory environment. Through a case study and some examples, we show the latent potential and limitations of DTs for MOMA in industrial contexts. The challenges of fidelity, real-time operation, and environment modeling are discussed. It is emphasized that creating a true digital twin of a mobile manipulator is hindered by the inability to include the complete surrounding environment. Recommendations for future research focus on addressing these limitations to enhance the effectiveness of DTs for MOMA in Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing.

The success of a product in the market is largely defined by the quality of design decisions made during the early stages of development. The product design requires designers to balance multiple objectives such as functionality, cost, and user satisfaction, while addressing the challenges posed by increasing product variants and customization demands. To tackle these challenges, one approach is to structure a comprehensive model that incorporates design for assembly (DFA) guidelines during the formulation of product architecture in the conceptual phase of development. While numerous strategies have been proposed in the literature, information is often scattered, making it difficult for readers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the topic. This paper systematically reviews the role and impact of DFA in product development, consolidating and presenting the information coherently. The review provides an overview of the methods developed, along with their potential benefits and limitations. A common framework is identified that defines the structure of the models, helping designers integrate assembly consideration into their design processes, thus reducing assembly time, cost, and complexity. The framework describes the operational setting, including the domain and context in which models operate, and offers a classification of possible methods and desired outputs. Additionally, the review identifies the industry in which case studies have been most frequently presented, and the software used to facilitate the process. By connecting with such a framework, future models can be created following a structured approach, and existing models can be classified and upgraded accordingly.

Digital twins and artificial intelligence have shown promise for improving the robustness, responsiveness, and productivity of industrial systems. However, traditional digital twin approaches are often only employed to augment single, static systems to optimise a particular process. This article presents a paradigm for combining digital twins and modular artificial intelligence algorithms to dynamically reconfigure manufacturing systems, including the layout, process parameters, and operation times of numerous assets to allow system decision -making in response to changing customer or market needs. A knowledge graph has been used as the enabler for this system-level decision-making. A simulation environment has been constructed to replicate the manufacturing process, with the example here of an industrial robotic manufacturing cell. The simulation environment is connected to a data pipeline and an application programming interface to assist the integration of multiple artificial intelligence methods. These methods are used to improve system decision-making and optimise the configuration of a manufacturing system to maximise user-selectable key performance indicators. In contrast to previous research, this framework incorporates artificial intelligence for decision -making and production line optimisation to provide a framework that can be used for a wide variety of manufacturing applications. The framework has been applied and validated in a real use case, with the automatic reconfiguration resulting in a process time improvement of approximately 10%.

Modern manufacturing has to cope with dynamic and changing circumstances. Market fluctuations, the effects caused by unpredictable material shortages, highly variable product demand, and worker availability all require system robustness, flexibility, and resilience. To adapt to these new requirements, manufacturers should consider investigating, investing in, and implementing system autonomy. Autonomy is being adopted in multiple industrial contexts, but divergences arise when formalizing the concept of autonomous systems. To develop an implementation of autonomous manufacturing systems, it is essential to specify what autonomy means, how autonomous manufacturing systems are different from other autonomous systems, and how autonomous manufacturing systems are identified and achieved through the main features and enabling technologies. With a comprehensive literature review, this paper provides a definition of autonomy in the manufacturing context, infers the features of autonomy from different engineering domains, and presents a five-level model of autonomy — associated with maturity levels for the features — to ensure the complete identification and evaluation of autonomous manufacturing systems. The paper also presents the evaluation of a real autonomous system that serves as a use-case and a validation of the model.

The training of future experts and operators in manufacturing engineering relies on understanding procedural processes that require applied practice. Yet, current manufacturing education and training overwhelmingly continues to depend on traditional pedagogical methods that segregate theoretical studies and practical training. While educational institutes have generally improved theoretical studies, they often lack facilities and labs to properly reproduce the working environments necessary for practice. Even in industrial settings, it is difficult, if not impossible, to halt the actual production lines to train new operators. Recently, applications with extended reality (XR) technologies, such as virtual, augmented, or mixed reality, reached a mature technology readiness level. With this technological advancement, we can envision a transition to a new teaching paradigm that exploits simulated learning environments. Thus, it becomes possible to bridge the gap between theory and practice for both students and industrial trainees. This article presents a systematic literature review of the main applications of XR technologies in manufacturing education, their goals and technology readiness levels, and a comprehensive overview of the development tools and experimental strategies deployed. This review contributes: (1) a state-of-the-art description of current research in XR education for manufacturing systems, and (2) a comprehensive analysis of the technological platforms, the experimental procedures and the analytical methodologies deployed in the body of literature examined. It serves as a guide for setting up and executing experimental designs for evaluating interventions of XR in manufacturing education and training.

Augmented (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) technologies are enablers of the Industry 4.0 paradigm and are spreading at high speed in production. Main applications include design, training, and assembly guidance. The latter is a pressing concern, because assembly is the process that accounts for the biggest portion of total cost within production. Teaching and guiding operators to assemble with minimal effort and error rates is pivotal. This work presents the development of a comprehensive MR application for guiding novice operators in following simple assembly instructions. The app follows innovative programming logic and component tracking in a dynamic environment, providing an immersive experience that includes different guidance aids. The application was tested by experienced and novice users, data were drawn from the performed experiments, and a questionnaire was submitted to collect the users' perception. Results indicate that the MR application was easy to follow and even gave confidence to inexperienced subjects. The guidance support was perceived as useful by the users, though at times invasive in the field of view. Further development effort is required to draw from this work a complete and usable architecture for MR application in assembly, but this research forms the basis to achieve better, more consistent instructions for assembly guidance based on component tracking.

The shift towards a mass customization paradigm in production requires the development of new concepts for manufacturing systems. Manufacturing system producers need to address the investment gap between large companies and SMEs to open new market shares and generate new revenue streams. Cloud technologies offer new service models and business opportunities: combined with Product Service Systems ideas, they can have a significant impact on both customers and suppliers. The paper proposes a new concept called Feeding-as-a-Service, which aims to connect servitization and cloud technology to explore how a feeding system can be deployed within an efficient and sustainable Configure-to-Order paradigm in a cloud manufacturing environment. The article outlines the potential system architecture, necessary technologies, and business model for the proposed Feeding-as-a-Service concept and highlights the advantages that the system offers through the enhancement of autonomous robotics capabilities for a cloud-deployed feeding service.