An Architecture and Interfaces for Distributed Manufacturing Simulation

This paper presents an overview of a neutral reference architecture and data model for integrating distributed manufacturing simulation systems with each other, with other manufacturing software applications, and with manufacturing data repositories. Other manufacturing software applications include, but are not limited to systems used to: 1) design products, 2) specify processes, 3) engineer manufacturing systems, and 4) manage production. The architecture identifies the software building blocks and interfaces that will facilitate the integration of distributed simulation systems and enable the integration of those systems with other manufacturing software applications. The architecture builds on the High Level Architecture (HLA) standard for simulation (IEEE 2001). NIST and its collaborators have created several implementations of portions of the architecture using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) simulators. These implementations demonstrated the feasibility of the architecture, and highlighted the need for a neutral data model for exchanging manufacturing data between simulations. Subsequent projects have focused on the development of a neutral information model for integrating machine shop software applications with simulation. The information model provides mechanisms for describing data about organizations, calendars, work, resources, schedules, parts, process plans, and layouts within a machine shop environment. The model has been developed using the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and the Extensible Markup Language (XML). The initial work on the architecture was undertaken as a part of the international Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) MISSION project. The neutral information model and interface specification activity was initiated under the Technology Insertion Demonstration and Evaluation (TIDE) project and is continuing as a collaboration activity under the Simulation Standards Consortium.