Including Design in e-Manufacturing

This paper reviews major issues in the implementation of e-manufacturing, particularly the design aspects. It will examine recent progress, drawing out particular issues that are being addressed. Use will be made of the work by the author and colleagues to devise rule-based design and Internet-based control of machines to illustrate how these developments affect the integrated e-manufacturing environment. A dynamic SimulinkTM model of the way emanufacture is affected by overall design delays is used to evaluate general solutions for partial and complete e-based companies. These models show how changing to improved designs reduces WIP.