A Simulation Architecture for Manufacturing Interoperability Testing

摘要

Manufacturing systems are often costly to develop andrnoperate. Simulation technology has been demonstrated tornbe an effective tool for improving the efficiency ofrnmanufacturing system design, operation, and maintenance.rnBut manufacturing simulations are usually developed tornaddress a narrow set of industrial issues, e.g., the purchasernof new equipment or the modification of a manufacturingrnprocess. Once the analysis is complete a particularrnsimulation model may not be used again. If simulationsrncould be made more modular and easily integrated, theyrncould have tremendous value as tools for manufacturingrninteroperability testing. This paper presents a modularrnreference architecture to facilitate the integration ofrnmanufacturing simulation systems with other support andrntesting applications. Opportunities for testing are alsorndiscussed that will be enabled by the implementation of thernarchitecture.