Logical-to-physical production system alignment and development

An apparatus for developing a production system, the apparatus comprising processing circuitry and a memory storing executable instructions that, in response to execution by the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus to at least:

• build a first logical control node associated with a first portion of a production system, the first logical control node configured as a structured data object containing a first hierarchical list of design requirements including at least one of a tooling requirement, equipment requirement, operational requirement, facility requirement, materials requirement, or assembly requirement associated with the first portion of the production system;
• incorporate the first logical control node into a logical network comprising a plurality of logical control nodes associated with a plurality of other portions of the production system, wherein the apparatus being caused to incorporate the first logical control node includes the apparatus being caused to:
• identify a second logical control node from the plurality of logical control nodes, the second logical control node containing a second hierarchical list of design requirements of a second portion of the production system;
• determine a relationship between a first design requirement stored in the first logical control node and a second design requirement stored in the second logical control node;
• and
• define a link between the first logical control node and the second logical control node based on the relationship;
• and
• convert the logical network into a physical model of the production system comprising a rendering of the production system, wherein the apparatus being caused to convert the logical network includes the apparatus being caused to:
• convert the first logical control node into a first physical node defining a spatial arrangement of design elements within the first portion of the production system;
• convert the second logical control node into a second physical node defining a spatial arrangement of design elements within the second portion of the production system;
• and
• arrange the first physical node and the second physical node in the physical model based on the relationship between the first design requirement stored in the first logical control node and the second design requirement stored in the second logical control node.

A computer-readable storage medium for developing a production system, the computer-readable storage medium being non-transitory and having computer-readable program code portions stored therein that in response to execution by a processor, cause an apparatus to at least:

• build a first logical control node associated with a first portion of a production system, the first logical control node configured as a structured data object containing a first hierarchical list of design requirements including at least one of a tooling requirement, equipment requirement, operational requirement, facility requirement, materials requirement, or assembly requirement associated with the first portion of the production system;
• incorporate the first logical control node into a logical network comprising a plurality of logical control nodes associated with a plurality of other portions of the production system, wherein the apparatus being caused to incorporate the first logical control node includes the apparatus being caused to:
• identify a second logical control node from the plurality of logical control nodes, the second logical control node containing a second hierarchical list of design requirements of a second portion of the production system;
• determine a relationship between a first design requirement stored in the first logical control node and a second design requirement stored in the second logical control node;
• and
• define a link between the first logical control node and the second logical control node based on the relationship;
• and
• convert the logical network into a physical model of the production system comprising a rendering of the production system, wherein the apparatus being caused to convert the logical network includes the apparatus being caused to:
• convert the first logical control node into a first physical node defining a spatial arrangement of design elements within the first portion of the production system;
• convert the second logical control node into a second physical node defining a spatial arrangement of design elements within the second portion of the production system;
• and
• arrange the first physical node and the second physical node in the physical model based on the relationship between the first design requirement stored in the first logical control node and the second design requirement stored in the second logical control node.