Experience with IMDAS (Integrated Manufacturing Data Administration System) in the Automated Manufacturing Research Facility

摘要

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has been operating a locally-developed distributed data management system in its Automated Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRF) since mid-1987. The system, called the Integrated Manufacturing Data Administration System (IMDAS), front-ends existing databases and database management systems with a unified conceptual model and a common data manipulation language and interface. The paper first describes the AMRF, a totally automated manufacturing plant in microcosm, using commercially available equipment for the most part, and its data and data repositories. It then describes the operation and performance of IMDAS in the AMRF. Finally, it looks at areas for performance improvement in the IMDAS and draws conclusions about the usage of IMDAS for production manufacturing.