122
Views
8
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Articles

A MGrid-based information sharing system for distributed product information sharing and exchange

, , , &
Pages 758-773 | Received 21 May 2008, Accepted 31 Oct 2008, Published online: 22 Jul 2009
 

Abstract

Grid technology is an emerging technology for the sharing of heterogeneous information globally distributed. This paper presents an information sharing system based on such a technology for a distributed injection moulding manufacturing enterprise. A Manufacturing Grid (MGrid) is proposed for information sharing in distributed manufacturing environment. Based on the MGrid, an information sharing system is developed to support the heterogeneous information sharing across departmental boundaries. By employing OGSA-DAI (Open Grid Services Architecture Data Access and Integration), the heterogeneity and the regional distribution of product information are managed efficiently. Users from different departments of the manufacturing enterprise can utilise the remote information as conveniently as they use local information for their product development tasks. A Grid portal is designed to provide uniform and friendly interfaces for users to interact with the information sharing system in a transparent manner. In order to improve the efficiency of the system, the workflow technology and the concurrently distributed information query process are also investigated in this paper. Case studies are carried out in an international injection moulding enterprise and results show the proposed system provides an efficient mechanism for the enterprise to quickly develop customised products in an economical way.

Acknowledgements

This research is funded and supported by the international collaboration project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (50620130441), project title, ‘Research on New Theory and New Technology for Network-based Digital Manufacturing Environment’ and the international collaboration project of New Zealand (Project No. PROJ-13546-IIoF-UoA) titled ‘Enabling Technology for Rapid Development of High Value-added Customized Products’.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.