Information Architecture of the Automated Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRF)

Published

March 1, 1986

Author(s)

Charles R. McLean

Abstract

A small batch manufacturing system testbed, currently under construction at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS), is designed to support research in factory automation standards. One of the expressed goals of the NBS Automated Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRF) project is the specification of the interfaces which must exist between component systems of automated factories. Many new component systems will have to be developed before automated factories possess a level of intelligence equal to that found in conventional manufacturing. Undoubtedly, factories will eventually be constructed from modules that are offered as plug compatible products by different systems vendors. These vendors will need a standard factory model or system architecture for planning and implementing external interfaces to their proprietary systems. This paper describes the decomposition of the AMRF factory architecture into five major groups of subsystems: User Data Interface Devices, Hierarchical Manufacturing Management, Network Communications, Distributed Data Administration, and Shop Floor Hardware. It also proposes mechanisms for the implementation of intelligent control modules at each level in the manufacturing management hierarchy.

Proceedings Title

Proceedings of the Information Technologies Conference

Pub Type

Conferences

Keywords

User Data Interface Devices, Hierarchical Manufacturing Management, Network Communications, Distributed Data Administration, aShop Floor Hardware

Citation

McLean, C. (1986), Information Architecture of the Automated Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRF), Proceedings of the Information Technologies Conference (Accessed May 1, 2026)

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