Interface Modeling for Complex Systems Design: An MBSE and PLM System Integration Perspective

A continuous digital thread is not yet fully supported by the product lifecycle tools. A particular discontinuity appears between Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions and methodologies. Seamless data exchange is an essential element to achieve system components integration, that would support positive emergence and prevent negative ones. A significant integration challenge lies at the heart of MBSE and PLM solutions, since the former facilitates system conceptual design, while the latter focuses on detailed design. However, these two domains are missing common language elements and concepts. We foresee that this could be facilitated through better interface management definition, as one of the most critical integration processes which contains information about both behavior and form, thus, links conceptual and detailed design. In our paper, we propose to use a Design Structure Matrix as a supporting tool to achieve a continuous digital thread, necessary for Digital Engineering solutions. To verify this approach, an aircraft bleed-air system was used as a use-case. We demonstrate that this method can effectively enrich the interface management and control processes through the analysis of metaphors for interface representation proposed by the conceptual design language and product mock-up.