Distributed Manufacturing Information System for a Virtual Corporation

The proposed Distributed Manufacturing Information System will enable small and medium size manufacturing shops to cooperate as a Virtual Corporation for Distributed Manufacturing, to expand their business by extending their capabilities, to fulfill requirements for major quality control certifications, to respond rapidly, and to offer lower costs to customers (e.g., the Navy). The greatest hurdles in performing distributed manufacturing are breaking down and allocating work among team member firms, planning, tracking, and scheduling work, and implementing a quality process adequate to meet major quality standards. The primary elements of the Distributed Manufacturing Information System are the Breakdown and Allocation Subsystem, the Planning/ Tracking/Scheduling Subsystem, the Quality Control Subsystem, and the Manufacturing Data Management Subsystem. The system's client- server architecture on low-cost PC platforms, makes it accessible to smaller firms. The Planning/Tracking/Scheduling Subsystem will be selected and adapted from existing, low-cost commercial systems. Other subsystems will be designed in Phase I and implemented in Phase II. This SBIR project will focus on supporting the manufacture of mechanical parts and assemblies, with later versions expanding to other types of manufacturing.