Howard Bloom

THE VIRTUAL MANUFACTURING CELL

Abstract A virtual manufacturing cell is being developed at the National Bureau of Standards as part of the control software for the Automated Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRF) project. The traditional group technology (GT) cell has evolved from the need to maintain the flexibility to manufacture a family of parts while gaining some of the efficiency associated with a single process flow line. GT cells are normally defined by a fixed physical grouping of machining workstations that produce a particular class of parts. A shop based upon virtual manufacturing cells provides greater flexibility than existing GT shop configurations by time sharing machining workstations. Virtual GT cells are not identifiable as fixed physical groupings of machinery, but as data files and processes in a control computer. Functions performed by these processes include analysis, reporting, routing, scheduling, dispatching, and monitoring. At a higher level, the shop control system schedules cell activation and allocates workstations and other resources to these cells. Workstations are at all times under the control of either a particular virtual cell or a pool cell composed of idle workstations.

Concurrent Engineering Through Product Data Standards

Abstract : Concurrent engineering involves the integration of people, systems and information into a responsive, efficient system. Integration of computerized systems allows additional benefits: automatic knowledge capture during development and lifetime management of a product, and automatic exchange of that knowledge among different computer systems. Critical enablers are product dat standards and enterprise integration frameworks. A pioneering assault on the complex technical challenges is associated with the emerging international Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data (STEP). Surpassing in scope previous standards efforts, the goal is a complete, unambiguous, computer- readable definition of the physical and functional characteristics of a product throughout its life cycle. U.S. government agencies, industrial firms, and standards organizations are cooperating in a program, Product Data Exchange using STEP (PDES), to develop and implement STEP in a shared-database environment. PDES will lead to higher, integrated levels of automation based upon information standards and frameworks. U.S. manufacturers will benefit from concurrent engineering without sacrificing the historical strengths and traditions of individuality, initiative, and intellectual property rights. Concurrent engineering, through information technology and standards, represents the power of a new industrial revolution. The role of the NIST National PDES testbed, technical leadership and a testing-based foundation for the development of STEP, is described.

Design for Manufacturing and the Life Cycle

This paper describes “Design for Manufacturing and the Life-Cycle” and why such a research program is needed. The architecture of a design workstation that has the capability of performing concurrent design functions is described. The architecture of a larger system, a Manufacturing Commodity Exchange System, is also defined to illustrate the concept of unified life-cycle engineering. Various research thrusts into design technologies, manufacturing related applications, and information technologies are outlined. This topic is one of six topics that cover the Design program at the National Science Foundation. Comments are given on those NSF grants that fall into the area of design for manufacturing.