What Virtual Manufacturing Is
Definition of VM
In Lawrence Associates'
Virtual Manufacturing User Workshop report,
Virtual Manufacturing (VM)is defined to be
an integrated, synthetic manufacturing environment exercised to enhance all levels of decision and control.
Three Paradigms of VM:
- Design-Centered VM: provides manufacturing information to the designer during the design phase. Page 8, Virtual Manufacturing Technical Workshop, 25-26 October 1994, Compiled and Edited by Lawrence Associates Inc.
- A near-term definition: VM is the use of manufacturing-based simulations to optimize the design of product and processes for a specific manufacturing goal such as: design for assembly; quality; lean operations; and/or flexibility.
- A longer-term definition: VM is the use of simulations of processes to evaluate many production scenarios at many levels of fidelity and scope to inform design (product and manufacturing system) and production decisions.
- Production-Centered VM: uses simulation capability to manufacturing process models with the purpose of allowing inexpensive, fast evaluation of many processing alternatives. Page 9, Virtual Manufacturing Technical Workshop, 25-26 October 1994, Compiled and Edited by Lawrence Associates Inc.
- A near-term definition: VM is the production-based converse of IPPD which optimizes manufacturing processes, potentially down to the physical levle.
- A longer-term definition: VM adds analytical production simulation to other integration and analysis technologies to allow high confidence validation of new processes and paradigms.
- Control-Centered VM: is the addition of simulations to control models and actual processes, allowing for seamless simulation for optimization during the actual production cycle.
Page 9, Virtual Manufacturing Technical Workshop, 25-26 October 1994, Compiled and Edited by Lawrence Associates Inc.
Relevant Research Areas
Virtual Manufacturing Background Project
Virtual Manufacturing Home Page