PRINCIPLES OF OPEN-ARCHITECTURE MANUFACTURING

General principles of computer-integrated manufacturing are discussed in the context of specific technologies that create flexible factory s ystems, rapid part realization, and in-process quality assurance. Manu facturing languages, common data structures, compatible operating syst ems, and common bus structures for machine tools and other processing agents in the factory are seen to be key elements of success. The abil ity to rapidly convert design ideas to precision mechanical parts is p resented as a rapid prototyping case study that highlights the various principles involved in open-architecture, computer-integrated manufac turing.