Planning towards enhanced adaptability in digital manufacturing

Abstract

This paper presents an integrated approach for developing a web-based system with enhanced adaptability, including distributed process planning, real-time monitoring and remote machining. The objective is to develop a new methodology and relevant processing algorithms for enhancing adaptability in digital manufacturing. This approach is enabled by a Wise-ShopFloor (Web-based integrated sensor-driven e-ShopFloor) framework targeting distributed yet collaborative manufacturing environments. Utilising the latest Java technologies (Java 3D and Java Servlet) for system implementation, it allows end-users to plan and control distant manufacturing operations based on runtime information from shop floors. Details on the principle of the Wise-ShopFloor framework, system architecture, and a prototype system are reported in this paper. An example of distributed process planning for remote machining is chosen as a case study to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach toward web-based digital manufacturing.

Keywords:

• process planning
• web-based monitoring
• remote machining
• digital manufacturing

Acknowledgement

This paper has been presented in DET2009 conference held at the University of Hong Kong during 14–16 December 2009 and was included in the conference proceedings published by Springer.