Principal Investigator

Associate Professor Soh-Khim ONG, REMOVEmpeongsk@nus.edu.sg

Collaborators

• Professor Andrew Y. C. NEE, REMOVEmpeneeyc@nus.edu.sg

• Associate Professor Y. S. WONG, REMOVEmpewys@nus.edu.sg

• Dr Jerry Y. H. FUH, REMOVEmpefuhyh@nus.edu.sg

• Assistant Professor Y. F. ZHANG, REMOVEmpezyf@nus.edu.sg

Visiting Researcher

Visiting Professor Y. P. CHEN, mpev10@nus.edu.sg

Virtual manufacturing is defined as an integrated synthetic manufacturing environment exercised to enhance all levels of decision and control in a manufacturing system. A Virtual Manufacturing System (VMS) is an integrated computer-based model that represents the physical and logical scheme and the behaviour of real manufacturing systems. The main objective of this project is to develop a virtual manufacturing system.

The developed VMS architecture will have a plug-and-play characteristic so that the users can plug in a variety of packages, e.g., simulation software, CAPP system, CADCAM software, and elements in a manufacturing system such as factory equipment and materials. An open system VMS architecture will be implemented consisting of well-formalised modules for planning, designing, analysing, modelling and simulating that have carefully decomposed functions and well-defined interfaces with other modules. Interfaces and common databases will be developed so that commercially available software packages and systems that have been developed or currently being developed in the university can be integrated to function as a complete system.

The developed VMS would consist of the following, namely, [1] a product model, [2] a manufacturing resource model, [3] a manufacturing environment model, [4] a virtual prototyping model, and [5] common VR databases. HTML applications will be developed to find data in a VMS server. VRML applications will be developed to visualise parts geometry, simulate the virtual shop floor, etc. Java applications will be used to enter the various information and data for the manufacturing of parts.

• Study the general configuration of a VMS.
• Study the interface specification.
• Evaluation of manufacturing process.
• Develop a VMS architecture.
• Develop a prototype VMS as a teaching toolkit based on the developed architecture.
• Explore the feasibility of setting up an international joint design/manufacturing research centre between HUST and NUS.

Collaboration

This project will be part of a collaboration project between NUS and Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) on the development of a VMS. Results of the research will form the foundation for developing an international joint design/manufacturing research centre between HUST and NUS. HUST will develop the necessary interfaces that are complementary to the interfaces that NUS will develop for the various stages in the virtual manufacturing of a product, as well as act as a remote test-bed for NUS. HUST will have their own sources of funds for developing these interfaces. An MOU between NUS and HUST has been signed.

• Ms An Na, engp8759@nus.edu.sg (Prof AYC Nee, Asst/Prof SK Ong)
• Mr An LiJun, engp7915@nus.edu.sg (Prof AYC Nee, Asst/Prof AS kumar)
• Mr Chen Tao, engp8940@nus.edu.sg (Prof AYC Nee, Asst/Prof AS kumar)
• Mr Jia Xiao, engp8970@nus.edu.sg (Assoc/Prof YS Wong, Assoc/Prof MA Mannan)
• Mr Jiang Le, engp8686@nus.edu.sg (Prof AYC Nee, Asst/Prof SK Ong)
• Mr Li WeiDong, engp8660@nus.edu.sg (Prof AYC Nee, Asst/Prof SK Ong)
• Ms Wang GuoJian, engp8869@nus.edu.sg (Asst/Prof YF Zhang, Dr Jerry Fuh)
• Mr Yao Jun, engp8847@nus.edu.sg (Asst/Prof YF Zhang, Dr Jerry Fuh)
• Mr Sun Jiong, engp7695@nus.edu.sg (Prof AYC Nee, Asst/Prof YF Zhang)
• Ms Qiang Lan, engp7001@nus.edu.sg (Prof AYC Nee, Asst/Prof YF Zhang)

Enquries & Contact Information

Mechanical & Production Engineering Department
National University of Singapore
10 Kent Ridge Crescent
Singapore 119260
Tel: (65) 874 2222
Fax: (65) 779 1459