Ontology-based Synchronization of Automated Production Systems and their Simulation Models

Using discrete-event simulation (DES) in the operational phase of an automated production system (APS) places high demands on the accuracy of a simulation model to obtain valid results. A continuous adaptation of the model's parameters is necessary to reduce the deviation between the simulation and the real production system. In a preliminary study, we presented the WMS4SimPar system that uses a hybrid approach with production data and knowledge from workers on the shop floor. This paper presents a detailed presentation of the use and integration of an ontology within the system and the recommender system that uses the ontology to adapt the simulation parameters. We implemented the recommender system for a use case from a research project. The evaluation of the recommender system shows that 13 of 16 domain experts were satisfied with the recommendations.