This paper presents a SysML profile that enables the direct integration of planning semantics based on the Planning Domain Definition Language (PDDL) into system models. Reusable stereotypes are defined for key PDDL concepts such as types, predicates, functions and actions, while formal OCL constraints ensure syntactic consistency. The profile was derived from the Backus-Naur Form (BNF) definition of PDDL 3.1 to align with SysML modeling practices. A case study from aircraft manufacturing demonstrates the application of the profile: a robotic system with interchangeable end effectors is modeled and enriched to generate both domain and problem descriptions in PDDL format. These are used as input to a PDDL solver to derive optimized execution plans. The approach supports automated and model-based generation of planning descriptions and provides a reusable bridge between system modeling and AI planning in engineering design.

Model-based systems Engineering (MBSE) approaches can be applied in the early engineering phases of the development of production systems. They help the system engineer to determine the suitability of production systems and assist in design decisions. To achieve this in a structured manner, several Domain-Specific Modeling Languages (DSMLs) were developed in this contribution using the UML profile mechanism and then integrated into an MBSE workflow. These DSMLs are based on industry standards which consider the Product, Process, and Resource (PPR) structures, allowing consistent modeling while considering the system variability. The application of the DSMLs is demonstrated through the development of a highly automated production system for aircraft fuselage components. Additionally, this contribution showcases how different implementation variants can be compared through simulation.

Contrary to classic document-based engineering, model-based systems engineering (MBSE) is an approach that focuses on the definition of engineering artifacts as formal information models. In complex engineering projects, such as the design of automated aircraft production systems, MBSE is a means to control complexity and support interdisciplinary collaboration. To implement MBSE in industry, ready-to-use modeling workflows that guide and support system engineers are required to minimize overhead workload. System Modeling Language (SysML), a general purpose modeling language derived from Unified Modeling Language (UML), is widely accepted as the standard modeling language in MBSE and therefore supported by industry-leading software. In this paper, we propose a SysML-based modeling workflow that supports the conceptual engineering of automated production systems. The system engineer is guided through a multi-layer modeling workflow, which is based on the Software Platform Embedded Systems (SPES) method. The modeling workflow is validated by applying it in the engineering of an automated production system that is used in aircraft manufacturing.

Due to their capability to model information about various domains in a semantically rich way, knowledge graphs gain importance in the engineering of automated systems. Still, the integration of engineering artifacts, which are usually created by software, is a challenge, due to missing interfaces of engineering software. In this paper, we propose a method for extracting information directly from running engineering software. The core concept of this method are virtual graphs, which do not physically store data, but instead have capabilities to access data from the software’s internal information model on demand. This information can then be accessed by other engineering software, which avoids typical, tedious workflows consisting of data exports and imports from and to different tools. For this concept, a generic concept and an architecture for a landscape of engineering tools are presented. They are validated by a prototypical implementation, which creates a virtual graph of the internal data of a SysML-tool and makes it accessible by a graph database.