The Collaborative Research Centre 614 “Self-Optimising Systems in Mechanical Engineering” conducted in-depth research into these innovative systems. The paradigm of self-optimisation can be utilised as an opportunity to increase reliability if the additional functionality and, in particular, the variability of self-optimising systems are used to counteract risks during runtime. The greater complexity of these systems generally also entails a higher risk of systematic errors or greater susceptibility to errors. Another new aspect of self-optimising systems is that, as a result of autonomous goal adaptation, the resulting behaviour of the systems may, under certain circumstances, be impossible to determine in advance, or only with considerable effort.

The continuous analysis of the system state and environmental conditions, together with the ability to react appropriately to changes, enables a self-optimising system to take into account objectives that enhance reliability. On the one hand, self-optimising methods can prevent faults from occurring by identifying potential faults in advance and adjusting the system’s behaviour accordingly. On the other hand, such a system can also react in the event of a fault occurring, in order to continue to ensure reliability depending on the nature of the fault.

The multi-stage reliability concept, further developed by Dr Christoph Sondermann-Wölke as part of his doctoral research, is the central concept for combining self-optimisation with the monitoring of system behaviour. A defined weighting is assigned to the objective of reliability across the four areas, depending on the current situation. A detailed description can be found here.