A modeling approach for Cyber-Physical Systems based on collaborative processes

Based on the Industry 4.0 initiative, this paper presents a modeling approach for Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) that is based on collaborative processes. The approach is called MA4.0 (Modeling Approach 4.0) and is made up of four kinds of models: the system model, the collaboration models, the component models, and the process models. The system model shows the types of the components of the system and their relationships. The components may be devices and software systems. The relationships denote collaboraboration models that consist of message-driven interactions and control blocks. Component models show the structure of components: software systems are made up of internal processes while devices also include operating units. Processes are event-driven and leverage the data flow instead of the control flow. The approach is illustrated with the example of a manufacturing cell.