Core manufacturing ontology to model manufacturing operations and sequencing knowledge

It is critical to capture and share product manufacturability knowledge along with manufacturing operations and their sequences to enhance the competitiveness of manufacturing enterprises. The developed approaches have proven to be expensive and time-consuming. In this paper, a new core manufacturing ontology is developed to model manufacturing operations, sequence knowledge and make it easily shareable. The ontological approach involves identification and definition of a core set of concepts with relations to develop the hierarchical structures of manufacturing models. The ontological model is then formalised through the Web Ontology Language, while formal axioms and rules are written in the Semantic Web Rule Language. The model was validated in an industrial environment via collaboration with one of the largest aero engine manufacturing companies. The generic nature of the proposed model renders that it is capable of capturing manufacturing operations and their sequences into proper categorisation. The multifaceted capability of the ontological model can greatly facilitate manufacturing engineers in decision-making for new product manufacturing planning.