Agile Manufacturing-Simulation and Integration Tools

The objective of agile manufacturing is to increase competitiveness of the US manufacturing base, while addressing DoD priorities, with a combined goal of improving US global competitiveness and national security. To achieve this objective, significant changes in technology and infrastructure must occur. This proposal addresses a significant component of these required changes, a Next Generation Controller (NGC). Its development, by design, will provide for integration into th open architecture environment of the workcell and the factory floor, and in addition provide for the integration of its internal components into open architecture systems. The technological advances proposed within draw upon lessons learned from previous NGC programs such as MOSAIC, and also from Army initiatives in distributed intelligent controls for Army programs such as intelligent minefields and advanced field artillery systems, and DoD programs in robotic system simulation and control. A demonstration of the NGC concepts is proposed, through the integration of a vision-based sensor and data base manager with a water-jet milling machine provided by Pratt & Whitney.