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Current virtual simulation platforms provide various tools to generate non-immersive simulation processes purposefully in different domains. The generated simulation processes are adopted for analysis, presentation, demonstration and verification. In the virtual maintenance domain, this intuitive and visual method has benefitted product maintainability design and improvement. Generating an ideal and reasonable non-immersive virtual maintenance simulation is always time-consuming because of the complicated human operations and logical relationships involved. This study aims to propose a semiautomatic approach to increase efficiency in non-immersive virtual maintenance simulation implementation.

The methodology analyzes the general catalogs of common maintenance tasks and explores the corresponding secondary development approaches of simulation tools that can achieve motion simulation in virtual environments, by focusing on the diversity, complexity and uncertainty in non-immersive virtual simulation process generation. Afterward, a single virtual human motion can be generated by controlling the parameters and indices of the simulation tools. Subsequently, all of the generated single motions are connected logically to simulate the entire maintenance process.

Instead of selecting various tools, such as that in a traditional method, the proposed methodology analyzes and integrates the necessary basic parameters considering the characteristics of virtual maintenance simulation for a target maintenance activity.

The user can control the predefined parameters to generate the simulation combining several other simple operations in virtual environments. Consequently, the methodology decreases simulation tool selection and logic consideration and increases efficiency to a certain extent in non-immersive virtual maintenance simulation generation.

The paper aims to provide an integrated system for collaborative maintenance training of complex equipment based on virtual maintenance and immersive virtual reality environment.

An integrated platform for collaborative virtual maintenance operation and training of complex equipment is developed. The simulation supporting platform for collaborative virtual maintenance is designed with the combined hierarchical structure and modularized members to support the interactive communication of heterogeneous data and information. By analyzing the collaboration mode of multi operators, the maintenance task allocation model, maintenance operation model and Extensible Markup Language‐based object information template are presented.

The research finds that the proposed system is an efficient platform for collaborative maintenance training of complex equipment.

Appropriate and efficient maintenance task allocation and collaborative maintenance operation of multi operators can significantly improve the maintenance efficiency of complex equipment.

A collaborative virtual maintenance training system of complex equipment based on immersive virtual reality environment is presented.

Virtual maintenance simulation is of great importance to help designers find and avoid design problems. During its simulation phase, besides the high precision requirement, collision detection must be suitable for all irregular objects in a virtual maintenance environment. Therefore, in this paper, a collision detection approach is proposed based on encapsulation for irregular objects in the virtual maintenance environment.

First, virtual maintenance simulation characteristics and several commonly used bounding boxes methods are analyzed, which motivates the application of encapsulation theory. Based on these, three different encapsulation methods are oriented to the needs of simulation, including encapsulation of rigid maintenance objects, flexible maintenance objects and maintenance personnel. In addition, to detecting collisions accurately, this paper divides the detection process into two stages. That is, in the first stage, a rough detection is carried out and then a tiny slice space is constructed to generate corresponding capsule groups, which will be redetected in the secondary stage. At last, several case studies are applied to illustrate the performance of the methodology.

The automatic construction algorithm for bounding boxes can be adapted to all forms of objects. The number of detection primitives are greatly reduced. It introduces the reachable space of the human body in maintainability as the collision search area.

The advantages of virtual maintenance simulation could also be advantageous in the industry with further studies. The paper believes this study is of particular interest to the readers of your journal.

The paper aims to propose a systematic approach for human factors (HFs) automatic evaluation for entire maintenance processes in virtual environment.

First, a maintenance process information model is constructed to map real maintenance processes into computer environment. Next, based on this information model, the automatic evaluation methods for visibility, operation comfort and reachability are presented. All evaluation results are weighted and added up to establish a comprehensive HFs evaluation model. Then, the methods mentioned above are realized as an HFs evaluation module, which is integrated into virtual maintenance simulation platform, software developed by our lab.

An application in HFs evaluation of repairing hydraulic motor on container spreader is implemented, and an on-site survey is carried out. The comparison between the result from the survey and the result we get using the presented methods shows that our solution can support HFs fast assessment accurately and effectively.

Through evaluating maintenance operation processes, engineers can better analyze and validate the maintainability design of complex equipment, and some potential ergonomic issues can be found and dealt earlier.

The paper contributes to present a systematic approach to achieve HFs fast and accurate evaluation for entire maintenance processes, rather than for a few maintenance postures.

Based on virtual maintenance, this paper aims to propose a time prediction method of assembly and disassembly (A&D) actions of product maintenance process to enhance existing methods’ prediction accuracy, applicability and efficiency.

First, a framework of A&D time prediction model is constructed, which describes the time prediction process in detail. Then, basic maintenance motions which can comprise a whole A&D process are classified into five categories: body movement, working posture change, upper limb movement, operation and grasp/placement. A standard posture library is developed based on the classification. Next, according to motion characteristics, different time prediction methods for each motion category are proposed based on virtual maintenance simulation, modular arrangement of predetermined time standard theory and the statistics acquired from motion experiment. Finally, time correction based on the quantitative evaluation method of motion time influence factors is studied so that A&D time could be predicted with more accuracy.

Case study of time prediction of products’ various A&D processes is conducted by implementing the proposed method. The prediction process of diesel cooling fan disassemble time is presented in detail. Through comparison, the advantages and effectiveness of the method are demonstrated.

This paper proposes a more accurate, efficient and applicable product A&D time prediction method. It can help designers predict A&D time of a product maintenance accurately in early design phases without a physical prototype. It can also provide basis for the verification of maintainability, the balance of the design of product structure and system layout.

Maintainability is the ability of a product system to be maintained and is a design characteristic. The paper aims to provide an integrated system for complex product maintainability design and verification. It includes processes and tools that can be effectively used to plan, quantify and cost maintenance.

An integrated platform for maintainability design and verification is designed. A case‐based reasoning method of maintainability design and Extensible Markup Language‐based representation of maintenance procedure information are presented.

The paper finds that the proposed system is an efficient tool for complex product maintainability design and verification.

Early and effective planning and implementation of a maintainability program can significantly improve the reliability and availability of product system.

A desktop virtual reality application for product maintainability design and verification is presented.

This paper presents a maturity model for digital transformation effectiveness in laboratories (labs) with education and research purposes.

The model was developed using design science research methodology, expert interviews and case studies.

The model fulfills three practical goals: (1) to establish comparability of the effectiveness of the digital transformation of labs, (2) to provide lab operators from academia and industry with a guide for (further) transformation and (3) to build initial trust among lab users. In addition, the maturity model contributes to the literature on digital lab transformation by capturing, describing, structuring and evaluating relevant dimensions, items and levels. Model strengths and weaknesses, areas for improvement, international applicability and practical and reusable recommendations are presented as well as the added value in assessing lab functionalities and lab sustainability.

Although originally developed as a maturity model driven by lab education, the model is also suitable for the transformation of research labs in manufacturing technology management. Digital labs can efficiently support industry training and research and development activities as well as simulate the development of new processes prior to their implementation.

Especially for these use cases, the authors see application potentials for the use of online labs from an organizational perspective and from the perspective of stakeholders such as industry users and operators with a manufacturing background, who use and develop transformed labs for teaching and research.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a fuel‐optimal virtual centre selection method for formation flying maintenance in the J2 perturbed environment.

Based on the relative orbital elements (ROE) theory, the J2 perturbed relative motions between different satellites in the formation are analyzed, and then the fuel‐optimal virtual centre selection issue for formation flying maintenance are parameterized in terms of ROE. In order to determine the optimal virtual centre, two theories are proposed in terms of ROE.

Numerical simulations demonstrate that the fuel‐optimal virtual centre selection method is valid, and the control of the ROE of each satellite with respect to a virtual optimal centre of the formation is more efficient regarding the fuel consumption than the control of all satellites with respect to a satellite belonging to the formation.

The fuel‐optimal virtual centre selection method is valid for formation flying mission whose member satellite in circular or near circular orbit.

The fuel‐optimal virtual centre selection approach can be used to solve formation flying maintenance problem which involves multiple satellites in the formation.

The paper proposes a fuel‐optimal virtual centre selection method in terms of ROE, and shows that keeping the formation with respect the optimal virtual centre is more fuel efficient.

The paper aims to establish a virtual lighting maintenance environment (VLME), and to analyze the visibility-related human factors (HFs) during maintenance operations through interactive simulations.

First, an accurate task lighting modeling method was developed, which includes lighting information modeling and illuminant parameters calibration. Then, the real-time interaction between the task lighting and three-dimensional virtual human was modeled. After that, the attenuation coefficient of visibility was determined. Also, the HFs’ analysis process in VLME was described in detail.

A case study of power supply module replacement of radar equipment was performed in VLME. The HFs’ analysis demonstrated that the task lighting significantly affects the visibility, which causes indirect impact on posture comfort and operation safety.

Through evaluating maintenance operation processing in lighting environment, engineers can better analyze and validate the maintainability design for complex equipment, and some potential ergonomics and safety issues can be found and dealt earlier.

An VLME was built for interactive “human-in-loop” maintenance operation simulation, which can support HFs’ evaluation in lighting environment accurately and effectively.

Maintainability is a critical design characteristic that shows how well a product can be maintained; maintenance time is a comprehensive parameter of product maintainability design. This paper aims to provide an integrated methodology for complex product maintainability verification and maintenance time prediction using virtual prototypes and humans in a virtual dynamic simulation of the maintenance process.

An integrated platform for maintainability verification and maintenance time prediction is designed. Decomposition of maintenance tasks, corrective measurement time method, and an impact matrix of maintenance therbligs and time are presented.

The proposed methodology can efficiently conduct complex product maintainability verification and maintenance time prediction.

Early and effective verification and prediction of the maintainability and maintenance time program can significantly improve the maintainability and availability of a complex product.

A universally applicable method for product maintainability verification and maintenance time prediction is presented.