I believe most relevant pieces of our work are
1. A configurable distributed discrete-event simulator/controller of
FMSs
2. Structural Control Policies for FMSs
3. A repertoire of geometric algorithms for reasoning in
manufacturing
planning
4. A configurable feature extraction system
5. A die-face design workbench for sheet metal working
6. Dynamic Geometric Reasoning: Scene Feasibility and Geometric
Constraint
Satisfaction Problems.
7. An environment for design of assemblies.
Take care....all the best
Placid Ferreira.
>We are doing a study of Virtual Manufacturing technologies. Our
>conclusions will appear in a report to the Air Force Mantech program.
>We have the following goals:
>
>- to assess what research and applications are relevant to key aspects
> of virtual manufacturing;
>
>- to build an internet repository of virtual manufacturing information
> on the World-Wide Web;
>
>- to identify gaps in these research and application efforts, and
> present our outlook for the future of virtual manufacturing
> technologies.
>
>If any of your work is relevant to virtual manufacturing, then this is
>an invitation to send us information about it, for possible inclusion
>on the Web site and in the report.
>
>At the end of this message is a list of 13 areas that are relevant to
>our study. If you are doing work on one of these areas, please send
>email to the following address, before the end of March:
>
> virtual@frabjous.cs.umd.edu
>
>In your email, include the following information:
>
>- a 150- to 200-word abstract of your work and how it is relevant to
> the areas listed below;
>
>- a list of relevant references;
>
>- if possible, a URL for a world-wide-web or anonymous ftp site where
> interested parties can retrieve more detailed information about your
> work.
>
>Also, please forward this message to anyone else whom you think might
>be interested.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Dana S. Nau, nau@cs.umd.edu
> Computer Science Department and
> Institute for Systems Research
> University of Maryland
>
>Here are the other members of the team that is doing this study:
>
> Thom Hodgson, North Carolina State University, hodgson@eos.ncsu.edu
> Hank Grant, University of Oklahoma, hgrant@mailhost.ecn.uoknor.edu
> Ioannis Minis, University of Maryland, minis@eng.umd.edu
> Radharamanan (Radha), Marquette University, 6233radharam@vms.csd.mu.edu
>
>
>Here are the areas that are relevant for our study:
>
>1. VISUALIZATION: The representation of information to the user in a way
>that is meaningful and easily comprehensible. In addition to graphical
>user interfaces (GUIs) and virtual reality technologies, this technical
>area includes information distillation, aggregation and autointerpretation.
>
>2. ENVIRONMENT CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES: A computer based environment which
>facilitates the construction and execution of VM systems. The tools are used
>to extract information, to create models supporting simulation, to properly
>configure the virtual environment, to analyze the ``fit'' of the virtual
>environment to the real production environment, to link real and virtual
>processes, and to link to the manufacturing control systems.
>
>3. MODELING TECHNOLOGIES: Since simulations are based on models, modeling
>technologies are key technologies for VM. Significant modeling issues are:
>representation, representation languages, abstraction, federation,
>standardization, reuse, multi-use, and configuration control.
>
>4. REPRESENTATION: The technologies, methods, semantics, grammars and
>analytical constructs required to represent all of the types of information
>associated with designing and manufacturing a product in such a way that the
>information can be transparently shared between all software applications
>that support the representation technologies, methods, semantics, etc.
>
>5. META-MODELING: This area refers to modeling about modeling, in essence,
>constructing, defining and developing models that accommodate inter-model
>interaction. The area involves standards and integration issues.
>
>6. INTEGRATING INFRASTRUCTURE & ARCHITECTURE: The underlying infrastructure
>(e.g. network, communications) that supports the ability to share models
>and integrated product and process development across geographically
>distributed enterprises (e.g. global co-location). The area also includes
>creating a framework for the interoperation of all VM technologies.
>
>7. SIMULATION: The ability to represent a physical system or environment
>in a computer. This area includes a wide range of computer software
>applications and, in the long term, links to real world systems that
>enable simulation-based control. Includes model optimization and validation.
>
>8. METHODOLOGY: The methodology for developing, deploying and using VM
>systems, including ``simulation-based reason.'' The latter refers to
>``problems'' that are defined in such a way that ``simulation'' will generate
>insights (i.e., alternatives, potential solutions, problem
>definition/refinement). Problem solutions will likely require more than
>just ``simulation''. This methodology cannot be identical during the different
>phases, however, it should be consistent across all phases.
>
>9. INTEGRATION OF LEGACY DATA: This technical area primarily deals with
>data and the many aspects of dealing data in general. Also, corporate
>culture and multiple platforms were identified.
>
>10. MANUFACTURING CHARACTERIZATION: This ara involves the capture,
>measurement and analysis of the variables that influence material
>transformation during manufacturing. It also involves the techniques
>and methods for creating generic models of these processes based on actual
>shop floor data.
>
>11. VERIFICATION, VALIDATION & MEASUREMENT: For VM, this area refers to the
>methodologies and tools to support the verification and validation (V&V) of
>a VM system. Making decisions on a VM ``simulation'' of manufacturing
>demands a confidence that the impacts of those decisions on physical
>manufacturing will be realized as predicted. The methodologies and tools
>are developed to provide the confidence. Measurement is included in this
>technical area because its central role in maintaining a mapping between
>the physical and the virtual is necessary for the V&V methodologies.
>
>12. WORKFLOW: The work of an organization follows a path called the
>workflow. This technical ara encompasses the capture, evaluation and
>continuous improvement of the processes that are associated with workflow.
>The workflow area processes primarily involve information, whereas the
>manufacturing characterization area primarily involves physical material
>transformation processes.
>
>13. CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TRADES: The essence is multi-discipline optimization
>applied to large grain (specifically Life Cycle Cost disciplines) problems.
>These trades will be general across organizations at a high level, but will be
>organization specific at a lower level as with factory floor operations, etc.
>This has big technology transfer impacts. Many people had a hard time dealing
>with the specific labels of the underpinnings, however, they were adamant
>that it described what was really needed (e.g. requirement). Figure 3-1
>in the final report of the user's workshop (presented here as Figure 3-1)
>provides the context of this issue.
>
>
>
******************************************************
* Placid M. Ferreira *
* Assoc. Prof. of Mech. and Ind. Engg. *
* Dept. of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering *
* 1206, W Green Street *
* MC-244, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign *
* Illinois, 61801, USA *
* *
* E-mail: placid@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu *
* Phone: (217) 333-0639 *
* FAX: (217) 244-9956 *
******************************************************