This is the final report summarizing the experience and results of IMS Test
Case 7, GNOSIS. Detailed reports of the work packages within GNOSIS are also
available as listed in
Section
8.
The one year test case has been an experiment in international collaboration in
pre-competitive intelligent manufacturing systems research, with the objective
of defining a long-term research project. The long-term goal of the GNOSIS
project is to develop a new manufacturing paradigm which recognizes problems of
the present manufacturing environment--the growing scarcity of natural
resources, the problem of environmental destruction, and the issues arising out
of regional trade imbalances. The new post mass production paradigm is based on
systematization of design and manufacturing knowledge to acquire and organize
knowledge in a form that supports the design and manufacturing of soft
machinery, i.e., products and factories which achieve reduced resource
utilization and waste elimination throughout the whole life cycle from design
to reuse or disposal. Soft products and factories are characterized by
properties such as reusability, reconfigurability, and flexibility.
The short-term goal of GNOSIS is to develop concepts, methodologies,
technologies, and tools needed for the implementation of the new paradigm, and
provide a global infrastructure capable of supporting it. Major technologies
investigated include configuration management systems supporting the reuse of
engineering and manufacturing knowledge in routine design and configurable
production systems achieving dynamic product-specific manufacturing in flexible
production systems. The major characteristics, critical drivers, and obstacles
to the post mass production paradigm were identified to illuminate a path to
the new paradigm. Industrial companies are already obtaining benefits from the
work during the test case.
The test case has been a success. Thirty-one partners from five regions have
held a series of eleven major international meetings involving over 100
professionals. The overall project concepts and objectives were refined into
mutually agreed project plans with well defined tasks assignments. Electronic
mail servers were set up and intensive international communication around joint
work has taken place. Surveys of the state of the art were undertaken in all
significant areas of the project. Methodologies and tools were shared between
partners. Major experiments on widespread inter-regional joint work have been
carried out. Knowledge systematization throughout a complete product life cycle
has been addressed by the use of two data sets as benchmarks. These have been
analyzed by different partners with advanced techniques and tools covering
different stages in the product life cycle. The technical reports and other
deliverables created in the project already comprise several hundred pages.
GNOSIS partners were concerned to make a detailed assessment of this
international collaboration, in terms of the cost and benefits of the
participation, the problems encountered and the lessons learned for a long term
program--all the partners answered a questionnaire developed for that purpose.
Results of this self evaluation are summarized in Appendix A.
The GNOSIS test case phase was completed at the end of February 1994. It has
generated a large number of results in terms of problem solutions, industrial
benefits, technical reports, work package studies, research highlights and
specific project outcomes. The GNOSIS partners are now collaborating in the
definition of a long-term research project, and the preliminary activities
relating to this are outlined in
Section
7.
Figure 1 The GNOSIS Consortium
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gaines@cpsc.ucalgary.ca 1-Sep-94