The NGMS IMS Program has developed a vision of Next Generation Manufacturing Enterprise and a Technical Agenda describing a set of technology and systems R&D projects as the first steps toward realizing the vision. This abstract is for the first of a series of IMS Projects, based on the Technical Agenda, that the NGMS IMS Program plans to propose.
The Technical Agenda describes a set of projects that is far-reaching, with tasks grouped into seven categories: NGMS Description, Specification, Technologies, and Integration; Modelling and Simulation for NGMS; Data Models and Standards; Planning, Scheduling, and Control Systems; Integrated operations; Intelligence in the Work Unit; and Enterprise Dynamics. The IMS Project described in this abstract is more limited; it sets a context for the larger work and begins the first R&D projects. Specifically, we will:
· develop a unifying description of NGMS, begin the on-going development of an NGMS Specification that will capture the results of the individual R&D activities, and develop a framework for ensuring the integrability of the results into cost-effective NGMS.
· develop on-line facilities for tracking advanced technologies and advanced materials that will be used in and by NGMS, gauging their readiness for application. After pilot testing by the NGMS IMS Program Partners, these facilities will be made more openly available.
· develop an integratable set of models and simulations merging a bottoms-up view of the factory floor as it will be found in NGMEs with a top-down view of the globally distributed virtual enterprises that will constitute those NMGEs.
ABB Asea Brown Boveri Caterpillar Eastman Kodak Fraunhofer Society Fuji Electric Co.* Fujitsu Ltd. The Furukawa Electric Co. General Motors Honda Engineering Co. Honeywell IVF of Sweden JGC Corporation Kawasaki Heavy Kockums Submarine Komatsu Ltd. Industries Limited Systems Martin Marietta Energy Mitsubishi Heavy NKK Corporation Systems Industries Limited Obayashi Corporation Queensland Manufacturing Sony Corporation Institute** Short Brothers CAM-I***Universities that have contributed to the development of the NGMS IMS Program include:
Karlsruhe University Kobe University Kyoto University Kyoto Institute of Lawrence Technological Limerick University Technology University Ohio State University Osaka University Stanford University Tokyo Metropolitan University of Southern Virginia Polytechnic University California University* Fuji Electric Co. is the NGMS IMS Program Japan Region Coordinator and the prime contractor for the Japanese Domestic IMS Feasibility Study II-1, the results of which have contributed greatly to the NGMS IMS Program.
Additional partners may join the NGMS IMS Program. In particular, we are developing a class of partners, Consortium Partners, consisting of a consortium of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that together would act as a single partner in the Program.
From Europe, the Fractal Company concept for virtual enterprise has been manually implemented and is enriched by a model that incorporates strategic goals; cultural, social and economic factors as well as the more traditional description of processes and informationflows. From Japan's Domestic IMS Task II-1 we incorporate well-developed efforts that are examining both autonomous and distributed manufacturing systems that consist of distributed manufacturing modules equipped with machine intelligence and finer-grained analogs of biological systems. From the United States, the ideas of Agile Manufacturing introduce the requirements for robust dynamical systems. The Australian experience contributes an important view of relationships among smaller enterprises.
We have found that there is great commonality in these concepts and that they lead logically to similar systems. However, each emphasizes a different set of issues and characteristics. By combining the concepts we will be able to accelerate the development of more competitive, complete and comprehensive systems. The partnership will provide a global testbed for NGMS, validating and then testing such issues as cost, timeliness, flexibility, and robustness, and scalability of globally distributed NGMS.
Australia Region Coordinator Japan Region Coordinator The Queensland Manufacturing Institute Fuji Electric Co. Limited Dr. Periklis Christodoulou Production and Information Systems Office Cnr. Miles Platting and Logan Road Mr. Takashi Kurihara P.O. Box 4012 12-1, 1-chome, Yurakucho, Chiyodaku Eight Mile Plains Tokyo, JAPAN Queensland, AUSTRALIA 4112 Tel: Tel: +81-3-3211-9409 Fax: +61-7-847-0711 Fax: +81-3-3201-0750 e-mail: pc@janus.cat.csiro.au e-mail: N00311@niftyserve.or.jp Europe Region Coordinator U.S. Region Coordinator Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing - Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing - International International Dr. Peter Bunce Dr. Jim Jordan CAM-I Europe Office NGMS IMS Program Office 20 Market Street 21914 Granada Avenue Poole, Dorset BH15 1NF ENGLAND Cupertino, CA 95014 USA Tel: +44-1-202-670717 Tel: +1-408-253-0134 Fax: +44-1-202-680698 Fax: +1-408-253-0134 (pre-notify) e-mail: peter@carn-i.demon.co.uk e-mail: jjordan@cup.portal.com