This archive holds material on the international Intelligence Manufacturing
Systems research program.
In October, 1989, an Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) international
collaborative program was initially proposed by Japanese experts both from
industry and academia.
After extensive international discussions in 1990, it was agreed to undertake a
feasibility study aimed at developing and testing a framework for international
collaboration and, more importantly, at proving whether a collaborative program
in this area could be created and structured equitably and beneficially. It was
expected that the results and experiences gained in the feasibility study would
enable a decision on whether to establish a long-term program.
The feasibility study was planned to consist of two parts. The first was aimed
at developing a structure for the program, including such issues as modalities
of international collaboration, funding arrangements and provisions on
intellectual property rights for international collaboration, technical themes
for the program and criteria for approving projects. The second involved
conduct of test cases to establish procedures for a future program. This
covered cooperation methods, contribution and funding, technical themes, and
provisions on intellectual property rights.
Terms of Reference were adopted in September 1991. In December 1991 a meeting
of the secretariats was held to plan the implementation of the IMS feasibility
study. The prime proposal in the Terms of Reference was that a feasibility
study should be undertaken by the six Participants: Australia, Canada, the
European Community (EC), the five participating EFTA countries (Austria,
Finland, Norway, Switzerland and Sweden), Japan, and the USA.
The Terms of Reference proposed that the feasibility study should be carried
out through three committees: the International Steering Committee (ISC), the
Intellectual Property Rights Committee (IPRC) and the International Technical
Committee (ITC). In addition, the Terms of Reference identified government
agencies in each region which would act as regional secretariats.
The ISC held its initial meeting in Toronto, Canada in February 1992. This
meeting agreed to proceed with the feasibility study and approved workplans for
all three International Committees from that date through January 1994.
Technical considerations were based on the broad principles set out in the
Terms of Reference. Guidelines adopted at the second meeting of the ISC
contained four specific principles. These were:
- no manufacturing-related technology should be excluded initially except
where national security concerns preclude cooperation;
- technical themes were to encompass areas in which significant
contributions could be made to world knowledge;
- technical themes were to be chosen which would benefit multiple
participants to the greatest extent possible; and
- technical themes were to be discussed after each Participant had
sufficient opportunity to develop its own suggestions for themes.
In order
to assist and encourage applicants in putting forward proposals, the ITC
identified, at its first meeting, six general areas which were designated as
technical themes. These themes included:
- Enterprise integration
- Global manufacturing
- System component technologies
- Clean manufacturing
- Human and organisational aspects
- Advanced materials processing
After a detailed process of assessment, five proposals were selected as test
cases for the feasibility program. One proposal (TC2 below) was accepted as a
study project but is referred to here for convenience as a test case. Details
of the work carried out in each case is contained in the reports of the
International Technical Committee.
The titles of the six test cases are:
- TC2 Clean manufacturing in process industries
- TC3 Concurrent engineering for global manufacturing
- TC4 Globeman 21
- TC5 Holonic manufacturing systems
- TC6 Rapid product development
- TC7 GNOSIS: systemisation of knowledge
The test cases commenced in the first quarter of 1993 and were completed in the
first quarter of 1994. The IMS Committees for the feasibility study also
completed their reports early in 1994 and the final drafts were released in
mid-1994. There was a unanimous recommendation that the long-term IMS research
program be undertaken, and a detailed technical, legal and administrative
framework has been specified.
The following reports are available on-line:
This provides a report on the IMS activities to date and detailed
recommendations for the future. It is available as a multi-part document
through the web as
Web
Report, and as a single document in
Adobe
PostScript and
Microsoft
RTF.
An open symposium on the IMS program was held in Dallas in July, 1994. Two of
the keynote addresses were given by officials of the US Department of Commerce,
and are useful indications of US policy towards the IMS program. David Barram's
presentation is available through the web as
Web
Report, and as a document in
Adobe
PostScript and
Microsoft
RTF. Mary Good's presentation is available through the web as
Web
Report, and as a document in
Adobe
PostScript and
Microsoft
RTF.
The GNOSIS Test Case 7 reports are available:-
Final
Report of IMS Test Case 7: GNOSIS
The Knowledge Science Institute is monitoring the IMS program and will be
making other material on IMS available through its archives as the program
progresses. It will archive other materials sent to it, and link to other IMS
information on the Web. Please contact Brian Gaines (gaines@cpsc.ucalgary.ca)
if you have material or links appropriate to this archive.
IMS International Secretariat
Information on
Ongoing IMS Program
Information on
Australian,
Canadian,
Japanese, and
USA
participation.
Sandia National Labs
Information on
Agile and Advanced Manufacturing
Asia Pacific Technology Program
Information on
US-Japan Manufacturing Technology Fellowship Program
Coalition for Intelligent Manufacturing Systems, Stanford University
Information on
intelligent manufacturing systems activities
Tomiyama Laboratory, University of Tokyo
Information on
functional design and soft machinery
KSI
Page
gaines@cpsc.ucalgary.ca 15-Jun-96