SIAM DSL: Accessible Structured Text for Bridging the Architecture-Impact Gap in Cyber-Physical Production Systems

Abstract

In semi-automated Cyber-Physical Production Systems (CPPSs) that use operator assistance systems, introducing product variants often induces severe hazards due to misaligned mental models between the assistance system, human operators, and actual production states. These discrepancies create highimpact deviations between the expected and actual runtime states of a production line. To prevent these socio-technical hazards, solution architects require early-stage elicitation of tacit domain knowledge regarding critical production paths and operator conditions. However, multi-domain modeling approaches remain largely inaccessible to production domain experts. To bridge this gap, we present the System Impact Architecture Model (SIAM) Domain-Specific Language (DSL), a lightweight, structured text language that integrates a System Architecture Model with a System Impact Model. The SIAM DSL provides a simple framework for capturing and comparing multi-domain Product-Process- Resource (PPR) variations, facilitating forward and backward reasoning to identify risky production states. We explore the language’s efficacy through an illustrative case study of operator assistance design for gearbox assembly and derive a research agenda. The study results indicate that the SIAM DSL is effective for eliciting tacit dependencies and providing input to modeling socio-technical assistance scenarios.