Development of an Ontology for Defect Classification in Remanufacturing

Remanufacturing within the automotive industry has become an important part of environmental and reusability efforts. A crucial aspect of the remanufacturing process workflow is the correct identification and classification of defects on the product. A comprehensive ontology was developed based on a literature review to define, distinguish, and prioritize various defects for the remanufacturing of cylinder heads to show the relationships between them. Furthermore, the opinions of experts who work with or within the remanufacturing industry were surveyed. Text-mining methods and input from standards documents where applicable were used to confirm and extend the ontology for defect classification in remanufacturing. Results from these efforts show that these methods can provide sufficient supplemental knowledge to validate critical or underdeveloped areas of ontology. Expert opinions are extremely valuable in communicating information that is not discussed in scholarly articles and in contributing to the process of validating information found in scholarly articles.