Framework of Computer Aided One-of-a-Kind Production System

Abstract

The first step in creating the framework of a computer aided production management and control system is to define the manufacturing strategy that the framework will support. After this, the next step is to determine the requirements of the system that supports the operation of the chosen strategy. It is recognized that a formal method of specification is needed in order to provide a rigorous definition that can be re-used by clients when adopting and modifying the specifications and configuration of the system for particular applications. In this book the RTPA (real-time process algebra) methodology will be adopted as the formal method of specification. In Sect. 2.1 the methodology for specifying the framework is discussed. In Sect. 2.2, the mass production (MP) and the one-of-a-kind production (OKP) systems are compared at a conceptual level. This comparison demonstrates the different requirements that OKP has from tradition manufacturing systems (TMS). In Sect. 2.3, the OKP strategy is defined and its adaptation to other known strategies mentioned in Chap. 1 is discussed. Section 2.4 presents the results of the first analysis phase, which determines key requirements of an IT (information technology) support system for this strategy. This is followed by a conceptual view of the framework and a definition of the three main components in Sects. 2.5, 2.6 and 2.7. This includes the creation of framework classes as they pertain to the data modelling function. The summary of OKP management and control solutions is provided in Sect. 2.8. The chapter is then summarized in Sect. 2.9.