The objective of the NGMS-IMS project Phase II effort is:

• To develop the best ideas on advanced manufacturing systems within the context of the Digital Factory

• Integrate them into the Next Generation Manufacturing Systems (NGMS).  The key issues of NGMS will have to do as much with the integrability of manufacturing technologies and processes as with the technologies and processes themselves.

Benefit

The overall benefit of adopting next generation manufacturing systems will be to ensure their survival and future prosperity, nothing less. However, during the process of change the NGMS-IMS project Phase II will provide companies with the following more specific benefits: 

• Working on future manufacturing issues together with leading technologists and companies in Japan, USA and Europe who are addressing similar problems.

• A valuable shared learning experience on the latest technological developments in manufacturing systems and their applications that minimizes a company’s investment exposure in research and development without “reinventing the wheel”.

• A framework and blueprint for the integration of future manufacturing systems into the new forms of manufacturing enterprises.

• Competitive advantage from a more rapid adoption of advanced systems, processes and technologies.

• More rapid and “right first time” establishment of networks of autonomous units through the application of new types of simulation methodologies and tools.

• More rapid and “right first time” establishment of manufacturing processes through the application of new types of simulation methodologies and tools.

• Greatly improved response times to changing customer needs through the adoption of new forms of modeling and simulation systems.