Activities in Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) are usually represented by a group of co-operating agents where each agent supports a distinct subactivity. At the high level, every agent is represented by either an intelligent system (e.g. an expert system), a simple file system, or an information management system. This paper focuses on an example optimization activity from the shoe and handbag industry, in specific the activity that supports the optimization of mould-placement on leather plates. This activity is a necessary step in the larger activity of cutting regular/irregular shapes out of uniform/non-uniform base leather material. Here, the subactivities are represented by five intelligent agents, where each agent is an expert system, namely: a surface inspection agent, three distinct layout optimization agents, and a user-interface agent. The tasks performed by each of these agents-generate results which are of interest to other agents in the optimization activity, as an input to their tasks. The interoperability, and the sharing and exchange of information among the agents in this activity can be most naturally supported by a federated co-operation network. This paper describes the PEER federated architecture and how it implements the co-operation of the expert systems necessary for the layout optimization activity.
Federated Databases, Integrated CIM Activities, Optimization Expert Systems
Hamideh Afsarmanesh, Michiel Wiedijk, Luis Otto Hertzberger, Francisco José Negreiros Gomes, Atilio Provedel, Rosany Cristina Matins, Evandro Otononi Tieteni Salles, "Cooperation of CIM Expert Systems Supported by PEER", Studies in Informatics and Control, ISSN 1220-1766, vol. 5(2), pp. 157-169, 1996.
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