Milestone report of the manufacturing and instrumentation coordinating committee: From MEMS to enterprise systems

This paper presents problems and issues that are within the broad scope of the IFAC Manufacturing and Instrumentation Coordinating Committee. These issues include from the technologies involved in the components to the methods used in enterprise integration. Information processing and communications are considered as key topics in all the involved technological fields. Also, the paper deals with particular issues of components, mechatronics, robotics, advanced manufacturing technology, manufacturing modelling for management and control, and enterprise integration. Finally, conclusions related to important aspects, promising applications, key control concepts, future challenges and new areas are summarized.