Ontology-Based Semantic Tools for Evolvable Manufacturing Systems Integration

Throughout history, manufacturing systems paradigms have evolved significantly to meet the changing needs of society, from dedicated transfer lines to evolvabe production systems (EPS). Evolvable Production Systems are designed for swift response to market changes, pose a complex integration challenge due to component heterogeneity. Ontology-based semantic tools facilitate this integration by providing a common language for components. This chapter reviews the evolution of manufacturing systems paradigms by the emergence of Industry 4.0 technologies. It also explores the ontology-based semantic tools for EPS integration and reviews the existing ontologies for manufacturing systems. It highlights representative ontology development methodologies and concludes with future trends in ontology-based evolvable manufacturing systems development.