Abstract
Keywords: Multi agent system, vehicle assemblies, vehicle digitalization, vehicle design, assembly validation
The full digitalization of a vehicle includes the connections between components. The connecting structure in the vehicle represents a complex system due to the number of elements to be connected (vehicle components) and their relationships with and dependencies on each other. Firstly, the design of vehicle components is separated in terms of location and work organisation. This gives rise to a high demand for information exchange to determine requirements and relationships. Secondly, various CAD tools are often used in design. For this reason, the connections represent potential error sources in the build which need to be identified or prevented by continuous consistency checks. This calls for adaptive tools that perform autonomous investigations and support activities and can thus respond independently to unpredictable situations. Agent systems can fulfil these requirements and are suitable for complex, task-dividing software systems.
This report describes the PLUG model for checking the functional relationships of connections between build elements. Its purpose is to identify errors continuously in parallel with the vehicle design process, thereby supporting the product validation. The model name PLUG should underline the image of connections as being represented by a plug making a connection between two components.