An integrated model for manufacturing information exchange

Computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) is a strategy to optimize the operations of an enterprise by streamlining the flow of information between divisions and allowing data to flow seamlessly through the business, design and manufacturing processes. Advances in network protocols virtually guarantees that modern computers will be able to communicate data electronically. However, the ability to exchange data packets does not ensure that applications will understand each other's data formats. What is needed is a defined standard for data interchange which accounts for the complexity of the manufacturing environment. This paper presents an integrated database model which serves as the basis for manufacturing information exchange. Termed the Unified Data Meta Model (UDMM), this structure is based on common relational data modeling methods and was developed to support the integration of CAD, CAPP, NC tool path verification and MRP. From this structure, application interfaces can identify overlapping data and agree on the format of exchanged information. The specification of the UDMM, and the nature of the integration architecture in which it exists, allows for extension of both attributes in the model and new entities as new domains are added.