Research On The Key Technologies Of AM Oriented PDM

Agile Manufacturing (AM) is a very hot topic because it highlights the agility of enterprise to the market. AM is always implemented by organizing Virtual Organization (VO), in which many different corporations or their sub-corporations are temporarily organized on the market chance. Currently, Product Data Management (PDM) system is always limited to one enterprise. It doesn't support the integration between two enterprises because it can't manage the product information shared but stored in different PDM systems which belong to different corporations. So AM oriented PDM should be developed.Based on multi-layer Client/Server architecture, the framework of AM oriented PDM is built up in this paper. The framework consists of such modules as dictograph, coordinator, task manager, repository. All these modules make an AM oriented PDM system an open, flexible and compatible system. Meanwhile, trusteeship is applied to AM oriented PDM so that a small or medium size enterprise can trust the Trusteeship Center with its product data.Based on the framework, this paper presents the function model of AM oriented PDM on view of Process but not of Product. The function model supports AM by function modules such as Product Configuration, GT management, Product Information Release, Resource Configuration, Candidate Partner Management, VO Management, IPT Management and so on. To fulfil the functionality of AM oriented PDM, the information within product Hfecycle is modeled on view of product, resource, process and organization, using Object-Oriented Method (OOM) and Standard for the Exchange of Product (STEP).To resolve the role management in a VO, this paper presents an approach for role setup and role assignment by hierarchical role, public bidding and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Meanwhile, manufacturing roles and vendor roles are assigned concurrently in the course of performing manufacturability evaluation. This approach doesn't only optimize the proposed design but also improves the relations among partners.