In view of the lack of unified data architecture and model of workshop transportation system components, this paper proposes the concept of the workshop transportation system functional unit based on asset administration shell (AAS). The designed workshop transportation system can solve the problem of unified modelling for different types of equipment, and realize the rapid construction and adjustment of the system. Meanwhile, the system has been applied in the specific workshop transportation system and enables well application results. In the functional unit of workshop transportation system, automatic markup language (AML) is applied. This paper constructs the AAS model based on the industrial 4.0 reference architecture model (RAMI4.0), and introduces the workshop transportation system AAS model and its realistic mapping as an example. The workshop transportation system functional unit AAS model based on the RAMI4.0 provides an effective solution for the standardization and integration of workshop transportation system components, which is no requirement to develop specific data conversion tools for this purpose. All transportation equipment with AAS can achieve information exchange and interoperability. It is conducive for the rapid implementation of workshop transportation system engineering and provides a guide for the establishment of intelligent workshop. Thereby, the proposed methodology demonstrates the flexibility and interoperability of AAS in smart manufacturing.