Smart Assembly: Vision and Needs Based On A NIST Workshop October 3-4, 2006

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Smart Assembly Vision and NeedsBased On A
NIST Workshop October 3-4, 2006

• Dale Hall, Director
• Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory
• National Institute of Standards and Technology

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Outline

• Why is smart assembly important in a flat
  world?
• NIST workshop summary
• Vision
• Technology Gaps and Challenges
• Relevant RD at NIST
• Proposed Path Forward

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Manufacturing Matters!

• Manufacturing is the backbone of our economy
  and the muscle behind our national security
  American Competitiveness Initiative, 2006
• Major source of trade revenues, accounting for
  nearly 2/3 of U.S. exports
• High economic leverage and well-paying jobs
• Major source of research and development
  investment and innovation
• Simply put, manufacturing matters to jobs,
  rising productivity and higher standards of
  living. Manufacturers improve our quality of
  life. Manufacturing in America, U.S.
  Department of Commerce, 2004

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Manufacturing is Evolving in the Flat World

• Network-centric
• Dynamic, complex, interconnected supply chains
• Information/knowledge intensive
• Ability to share information accurately,
  inexpensively, seamlessly
• Focus on core technologies and critical assets
• OEMs move toward systems integration, assembly,
  service, marketing
• Vertical integration declining as a competitive
  strategy
• Global component part fabrication
• Emerging business case for locating final
  assembly close to customers
• Logistics, shipping costs, regulatory and policy
  issues, market intelligence
• Smart Assembly is about reinventing assembly
  processes to succeed in this new environment

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Holistic Nature of Assembly
Final Assembly Process
Design for Assembly Virtual Simulation and
Validation Buy versus Build
Decisions Flawless Launches Trained
Workers Knowledge Asset Management Supply Chain
Management Real-time Decision Making Fast
Response to Problems Maintenance Line
Balancing Etc
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Re-orientation of Manufacturing RD

• Traditional Process focus (casting, machining,
  forming)
• Physics-based modeling, computational
  mechanics/dynamics, controls, etc.
• Continuous mathematics
• Operations focus - Clean, Compartmentalized
• New/Evolving Systems Approach
• Systems engineering, computer science, industrial
  engineering, operations research, etc.
• Discrete event simulation (throughput) and
  variation analysis (quality)
• People-in-the-Loop
• Integration focus - Messy
• Federal Interagency Working Group on
  Manufacturing RD identified Intelligent and
  Integrated Manufacturing Systems as one of
  three critical areas of national need

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Outline

• Why is smart assembly important in a flat
  world?
• NIST workshop summary
• Technology Gaps and Challenges
• Relevant RD at NIST
• Proposed Path Forward

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Planning the Path Forward NIST Workshop on
Smart Assembly, October 2006

• Develop an initial vision for SA
• Define basic needs/gaps in SA
• Assess interests in establishing an industry-led
  SA Initiative and define the next steps

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Workshop Participants
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• Diverse industries, similar vision and problems
• Common key drivers cost, quality, throughput,
  flexibility, time to market

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Outline

• Why is smart assembly important in a flat
  world?
• NIST workshop summary
• Vision
• Technology Gaps and Challenges
• Relevant RD at NIST
• Proposed Path Forward

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Smart Assembly is a Key Area for Technology
Development and Deployment

• Goes well beyond traditional automation/mechanizat
  ion to exploit the effective collaboration of man
  and machine
• Integrates highly skilled, multi-disciplinary
  work teams with self-integrating, adaptive
  assembly processes, equipment, and tools
• Unifies virtual and real-time information to
  achieve dramatic improvements in productivity,
  lead time, agility, and quality
• Requires a highly skilled and well-trained
  workforce
• Is critical to enhance the competitiveness of
  U.S. manufacturers

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A Smart Assembly System Is

• Collaborative People and automation work
  collaboratively in a shared environment
• Re-configurable/re-programmable Readily
  accommodates new product, equipment, and software
• Self-integrates and self-optimizes
• Model and data driven
• Uses both virtual and real-time methods and
  inputs
• Virtual model is continuously updated to match
  physical reality used to enhance closed-loop
  control, condition monitoring, automated
  diagnostics
• Capable of learning Never makes the same
  mistake twice

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Outline

• Why is smart assembly important in a flat
  world?
• NIST workshop summary
• Vision
• Technology Gaps and Challenges
• Relevant RD at NIST
• Proposed Path Forward

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Intelligent Flexible Assembly Processes,
Equipment and Tools
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Intelligent Flexible Assembly Processes,
Equipment and Tools

• Intelligent cooperative robots, sensors,
  effectors, controls
• Software re-configurable
• Eliminate hard safety fencing/barriers
• Modular, low cost, re-usable

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Intelligent Flexible Assembly Processes,
Equipment and Tools Related NIST RD

• Robot Safety Standards
• Non-contact sensors for situational awareness and
  human tracking
• Perception for advanced intelligent manufacturing
• Industrial Autonomous Vehicles
• Robust optimization and control

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Accurate, Easy-to-Use, Pervasive and Persistent
Virtual Capability
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Accurate, Easy-to-Use, Pervasive and Persistent
Virtual Capability

• Virtual Launch of Factory (Optimize, eliminate
  errors)
• Synchronization of Virtual and Real Plant Floors
• Collaborative systems engineering
• Hybrid emulation of changes

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Accurate, Easy-to-Use, Pervasive and Persistent
Virtual Capability Related NIST RD

• Physics-based modeling of machining
• Virtual Manufacturing Environment
• Simulation testbed

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Real-time Actionable Data for Man and Machine
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Real-time Actionable Data for Man and Machine

• Wireless, web-enabled monitoring and prognostics
  
• Reliable, safe, and secure
• Decision support for optimized maintenance and
  fault recovery
• Self-diagnosis

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Real-time Actionable Data for Man and
MachineRelated NIST RD

• Equipment monitoring and condition maintenance
  (machining)
• Wireless and Ethernet/IP performance and
  interoperability
• Industrial control system security (PCSRF)

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Integrated Information and Control Architecture,
Business Processes and Standards
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Integrated Information and Control Architecture,
Business Processes and Standards

• Plug and Play hardware and software
• Interoperable systems for data exchange
• Harmonized standards

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Integrated Information and Control Architecture,
Business Processes and Standards Related NIST
RD

• Interoperability
• Conformance/Performance Testing
• Interfaces and data standards for next
  generation systems (e.g., STEP-NC, OMAC)

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Outline

• Why is smart assembly important in a flat
  world?
• NIST workshop summary
• Vision
• Technology Gaps and Challenges
• Relevant RD at NIST
• Proposed Path Forward

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Path Forward Logical Structure
Intelligent, flexible assembly processes,
equipment, tools
Pervasive and persistent virtual capability
Technology Roadmaps
Future
Automotive
Aerospace
Actionable real-time data
Infrastructure Standards and interoperability
Use cases Implementation/Deployment Roadmaps
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Next Steps

• Formation of Industry-led Smart Assembly Task
  Force
• Community-of-practice model
• Continue momentum from workshop
• Refine vision, scope, and business case
  scenarios, roadmaps
• Network and communicate with organizations such
  as ARC, NCMS, AMT, ISA, etc.
• Second workshop to be held at NIST in 2007
• Explore longer term potential to create a
  National Smart Assembly program/initiative which
  may include a Smart Assembly Testbed at NIST to
  validate the interoperability and performance of
  smart assembly modules and systems

For more information and to get involved, attend
the Special Meeting on Smart Assembly at ARC
Forum this afternoon, or visit smartassembly.wikis
paces.com
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Acknowledgements

• Workshop Plenary speakers
• Bob Tilove, GM/NIST Guest Researcher
• Bryan Dods, Boeing
• Tom Babin, Motorola
• Roland Menassa, GM
• Mitch Vaughan, UGS
• Bob Brown, Delmia
• Charlie Gifford, GE Fanuc
• Jim Caie, ARC
• USCAR
• Center for Intelligent Maintenance Systems
• IMTI, ARC

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Contact Info
Dale Hall Director, MEL tel
301-975-3400 dale.hall_at_nist.gov Bob
Tilove GM Technical Fellow and NIST Guest
Researcher tel [phone] robert.tilove_at_ni
st.gov 100 Bureau Drive Stop 8230
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8230 www.mel.nist.gov