制造网络集成平台技术研究

制造网络集成平台是制造网络系统构建与运行的支撑平台。在讨论了制造网络集成平台的应用需求、定义与基本特征的基础上，提出了一种建立在多代理系统协调控制框架与支撑工具基础上的制造网络集成平台系统体系结构，给出了制造网络集成平台的主要功能。研究了基于制造网络集成平台的制造网络系统的运行模式和应用集成机制，并提出了以代理封装实现制造网络集成平台环境下应用集成的方法和基本原理。     

基于多代理机制的车间制造资源调度管理系统的研究

在分析车间制造资源调度特点的基础上,综合运用多代理机制、规则调度和消息通信机制等技术,建立了适应制造企业车间层生产环境的多代理模型结构。重点研究了多代理机制的实现、基于多代理结构下的通信机制和规则调度机制等关键技术,构建了基于客户机／服务器结构车间制造资源的调度管理系统的体系结构,研究了其工作流程和实现方法,并开发了基于多代理的车间制造资源调度管理仿真系统。     

网络化制造与制造网络

分析了在当前制造全球化趋势下网络化制造系统的一些基本特征，介绍了网络化制造的基本概念及其解释，并给出一个由企业用户与网络化制造集成平台组成的网络化制造体系结构。结合当前制造业发展的趋势，着重提出了结合网格技术的制造网络的概念，描述了制造网络区别于传统Internet的一些特征。对网格技术与制造业的结合进行了研究，提出了构建于网格之上的制造网络的体系结构。根据制造网络的特性需求，提出了一种以网格技术为基础，建立在多代理系统协调控制框架与支撑工具基础上的制造网络的功能体系结构。     

基于多代理的分布式规则调度研究

针对航空制造企业生产调度系统的复杂性,提出基于多代理和规则调度构建分布式调度系统。研究了系统的体系结构,给出了系统中代理的划分和功能介绍,介绍了代理之间的控制关系、代理的实现结构及代理间的通信机制,研究了基于多代理的分布式规则调度机制,最后基于JADE(Java Agent DEvelopment Framework)构建了适用于航空制造业的分布式规则调度系统,给出了其在某航空制造企业的生产调度中应用的实例。     

基于蓝牙通信的无线制造网络的构建

介绍了蓝牙技术及其无线通信网络的拓扑形式,重点论证了利用蓝牙技术构建无线制造网络的可行性,并给出了利用蓝牙技术实现无线制造网络的通信模型及其构建的散射型无线制造的拓扑结构.     

委托代理机制在敏捷制造实现过程中的应用

本文探讨如何利用委托代理机制,实现敏捷制造环境下虚拟企业的动态联盟。在敏捷制造环境下,作为委托方的各个企业都有自己的专业特长,代理方的主要工作是建立一套完善的考核和检测标准,尽可能全面地搜集盟友企业信息。在需要组建虚拟公司时,委托方依靠优秀的代理大量待选对象中找到合适的盟友,解决联盟中可能出现的道德和法律问题,由此使得各自将精力集中在自己擅长的方面。     

基于联邦机制的设计制造信息资源管理框架结构的研究

分析了现代企业信息资源的特点,给出基于联邦机制的企业含义,讨论了一种基于联邦机制的设计制造信息资源管理的框架结构,运用CORBA和JAVA技术实现系统的异构。为了实现语义上的数据交互和互操作,采用面向功能的代理和智能联邦代理,实现异地联邦企业的产品设计与制造。     

集成制造环境下设备的网络化管理

集成的制造环境和先进的生产制造模式离不开对设备管理的集成,某些关键性的设备还必须进行实时网络监测管理。网络软硬件的发展,为网络化设备管理提供了技术保障。使用分布式网络数据库服务器SQL Server 作为后台数据库服务支持,采用ASP 编程技术,将设备的状态管理、台帐管理、维护管理、经济管理编成动态网页,利用智能代理组件实现集成制造环境下对设备的动态网络维护,保证了产品的制造质量。     

基于MAS和PDM的CAPP系统体系结构及其关键技术研究

研究了如何利用产品数据管理提供的信息交互、过程控制功能和多代理技术，实现集成制造系统中各制造单元的自治和主动交互，以满足快速制造网格环境对计算机辅助工艺规划系统的需求。所提出的基于多代理系统和产品数据管理的计算机辅助工艺规划系统体系结构模型，提供了对其自身所需信息的集中管理，可以通过与其他代理的协同，实现工艺设计的自治与协同，达到在最大限度利用遗产的情况下，实现异构、分布的面向全局工艺规划的制造信息从混沌状态向有序状态的转变，为面向全生命周期制造的工艺求解奠定了基础。在此基础上，建立了原型系统，其应用表明，该系统具有良好的扩展性和适应性，能够满足快速制造网格对全局工艺规划的需求。     

网络CAPP工艺资源数据库的访问技术研究

分析了网络制造环境对CAPP工艺资源管理的要求,研究了网络数据库的访问技术,通过分析ASP的工作原理和利用ASP的ADO组件访问Web数据库技术,提出了利用ASP技术实现CAPP网络工艺数据库访问的具体方法及步骤,为实现企业内部和企业之间工艺信息与资源共享提供有力支持.     

分散网络化制造——香港制造业再发展的模式

提出了一个电子化的生产模式——“分散网络化生产系统”,即充分利用分散于香港和内地之间的中小型企业,合作设计和开发新产品、共享制造资源以及充分利用香港的市场优势。介绍了生产网络的组织结构、管理结构及信息结构的设计和建模。在设计和实施这些模型过程中所积累的经验将为大规模推广分散网络化生产系统的动作提供良好的基础。     

数字工厂--数字制造教学与研究中的技术个案

１IntroductionWiththeimpactofinformationtechnologyandcomputernetworking熏thecoreofmanufacturingactivitieshasshiftedfromphysicalproductiontosystematicprocessingofinfor鄄mation眼１演．Tocaterforthischange熏manufacturerstodaymustbewellversedwiththecomputerapplicationsinmanufacturing．Thiscoupleswiththeadventofhigh－resolu鄄tiongraphics熏high－speedcomputing熏anduserintegrationdevices鸦virtualmanufacturinghasemergedasamajornewtechnologyinrecentyears眼２演．Theimpactforthechangeisparticularlypromin…     

The implementation and evaluation of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)—an action case study in a Hong Kong manufacturing company

This paper records the pilot implementation and evaluation of Total Productivity Maintenance (TPM) in the advanced manufacturing environment of a Hong Kong Manufacturing company. The management of the company would like to implement TPM in the company. However, many people doubt whether the project will succeed. The main concerns are: 1) TPM is a Japanese method. 2) The method may not be suitable for people in Hong Kong. Therefore, the company decided to have a pilot test in an advanced model machine. The pilot project turned out to be very successful. The experiences from this will be useful for the company to apply to all manufacturing. It can also be a reference for other companies that would like to implement TPM.     

An Integrated Maintenance Management System for an Advanced Manufacturing Company

Maintenance costs in advanced manufacturing companies, e.g. electronics manufacturing companies, have been steadily increasing as the companies upgrade their production facilities. Maintenance costs are normally a considerable portion of the product cost. To maintain a competitive place in the market, it is critical for an advanced manufacturing company to have a sound maintenance management system, which can control its maintenance costs at the lowest level and maintain its overall equipment effectiveness at the highest level. This paper reports on an integrated maintenance management system, which has been developed and implemented in an advanced electronics manufacturing company in Hong Kong. The methods and principles of the system are discussed in sections on maintenance performance auditing, cost recording and tracing, reliability centred maintenance planning and control, condition monitoring and on-line feedback control, and integrated maintenance planning and control.     

Implementation of rapid Prototyping technology — A Hong Kong manufacturing industry's perspective

Rapid Prototyping (RP) is a technology for rapid computerised building of 3D physical parts. It can be defined as an automated and patternless process which allows solid physical parts to be made directly from computer data in a short time. RP acts as the manufacturing middle to link up the computer-aided design (CAD) process and manufacturing processes. It includes the making of prototypes for design verification and even the making of tooling for production. With the trend towards concurrent engineering and the widespread use of CAD, RP has quickly become a booming business in the past few years. This paper presents an overview of the implementation of RP technology in Hong Kong and the critical decision factors in implementing RP in the Hong Kong manufacturing industry.     

Adoption of automation systems and strategy choices for Hong Kong apparel practitioners

Recent developments from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other international trade agreements have forced industries worldwide to face a new era of intense competition. The clothing industry sector, which has played a pivotal role in industrial development in Hong Kong, faces challenges from continued global economic restructuring and the accession of China to the WTO. Apparel manufacturers and trading firms need to review their competitive priorities and develop new business and manufacturing practices and strategies to compete. This paper presents the key findings of a recent study on the adoption of automation systems and strategy choices and discusses their relevance to the transformation of the apparel operations and businesses in Hong Kong. Two models namely, for integrated apparel business manufacture and for an apparel sourcing and coordination centre, are devised.     

Simulating the performance of supply chain with various alliances

Many models of supply chain management (SCM) have been popularly developed in recent years. However, this study focuses on the supply chain (SC) performance with respect to various alliances among partners. First, this study explores the game theory for formulating the SCM problem as a multi-objective programming problem. Second, various alliances, e.g., union, extreme competition, and Stackelberg competition among partners will be considered in such a problem so as to compare the SC performance under different alliances. Third, a numerical example is illustrated by two material supplier partners, three manufacturing partners, two logistics partners, and three customers, where each partner in the SC has its own objective and constraints. This SC problem is resolved across three different time periods. Finally, study results show that the maximum global benefits can be obtained only when all partners form a single union, but the inefficient partners lose significantly in such a union. The minimal global benefits exist in the extreme competition.     

Simulation Analysis of a PCB Factory using Factorial Design – A Case Study

This study describes simulation modelling and analysis of a serial production line in a printed circuit board (PCB) factory. Simulation technique is applied to evaluate the performance of the existing manufacturing system, which requires modification to achieve two conflicting objectives, i.e. to maximise the average throughput rate and to minimise the average lead time. Based on a full factorial design, the computer model, which is developed using SIMFACTORY, has been used for finding out the active factors that have a great impact on the current operational problems. Then, a new system design is proposed to enhance the overall performance and is verified using a simulation model. The simulation approach presented here is also applicable to a wide variety of complex operational problems. ID="A1"Correspondance and offprint requests to: Dr F.T.S.Chan, Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong. E-mail: ftschan@hkucc.hku.hk     

A Next Generation NC Machining System Based on NC Feature Unit and Real-Time Tool-Path Generation

In order to improve the control and information integration capability of an NC machining system, this paper provides a new concept – an NC feature unit (NCFU), which is a feature-based and a basic control unit. First, as a feature-based control unit, NCFU possesses geometric form and control parameters, which are a subclass of high-level CAD/CAM features so that it can be used as an information exchange medium between NC machining systems and other manufacturing execution systems. Secondly, as a basic machining control unit, NCFU uses a geometrically defined closed and non-gouging machined area. On the one hand, through decompo-sition, a machined object can be divided into a combination of several NCFUs. On the other hand, since NCFUs are non-gouging, the algorithm for NCFU-based tool-path generation is simple enough to be executable in real-time. This paper discusses NCFU-based applications in 2.-D profile/pocket and 3D surface mill machining, including the NCFU definition and the related algorithms for decomposition calculation and area interpolation. A next generation NC machining system based on NCFU, including an NCFU-based NCP and an NCFU-based CNC system, has been prototyped by China’s State 863/CIMS Design Automation Laboratory in Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. An NCFU is being used as the information exchange medium in an internet-integrated manufacturing system with NC machining at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.     

Optimal Process Tolerance Balancing Based on Process Capabilities

An optimal approach for process tolerance balancing is presented. The new approach is based on process capabilities and is to be used in the stage of process planning. A nonlinear programming model is used to simultaneously optimise process tolerances of required operations. In the optimisation model, the objective function is to minimise the total manufacturing cost with different weighting factors. Using the estimated standard deviations of the dimensions and the manufacturing cost-tolerance functions, the constraint equations for the process tolerance chains and the manufacturing capability indices are established, together with a model for the economical tolerance bounds of machine tools. A practical example was used to verify the usefulness of the proposed approach. The results of the comparative study show that the proposed approach is more advantageous in relaxing tolerance requirements and in reducing scrap rates generally, compared with the existing methods. ID="A1"Correspondance and offprint requests to: Dr Y. Gao, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong. E-mail: meygao@ust.hk