Development of a system framework for the computer-integrated manufacturing execution system: a distributed object-oriented approach

Today, most of the Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) are monolithic, in sufficiently configurable and difficult to modify. Using a distributed obje ct-oriented technique, we will present a systematic approach, to develop a computer-integrated MES Framework which is open, modularized, distributed, configurable, interoperable, and maintainable. We start with the system ana lysis by collecting domain requirements and analysing domain knowledge. Our MES Framework is designed by the process of constructing an abstract objec t model based on domain knowledge, partitioning the application domain into components, identifying generic parts among components, defining framework messages, and developing design patterns for generic parts. After finishin g the MES Framework design, we design a variety of functional components by inheriting appropriate design patterns of the Framework. An application ca n then be constructed by involving corresponding methods of related compone nts. The proposed MES Framework can be integrated and tested. The CORBA inf rastructure is adopted to develop this integratable MES. We also use OLE Au tomation and COM objects to construct sample applications. An example is sh own to demonstrate the fruit of this systematic approach.