VISION AND MISSION STATEMENT

The past fifteen years have witnessed a revolution in computing capabilities. Hardware is cheaper and faster. Software is increasingly powerful. Improvements in software technology range from new paradigms, to graphical user interface technology, to virtual reality environments.

At the same time, modern manufacturing systems are becoming increasingly complex and capital-intensive. Costly system designs require a great deal of modeling and analysis to ensure acceptable system performance after implementation. This modeling and analysis takes many forms in many different types of problems -- everything from equipment selection and configuration, to layout, to control system design and operating policy selection. Modeling and analysis methodologies have progressed tremendously through an enormous amount of research. However, this research has focused mainly on specific modeling techniques for narrowly-defined problems. There is little integration of existing tools and technologies into a framework that supports large-scale activities (e.g., design of a full system).

Vision

We will create an organization and facility with its purpose to see that modeling technology is as widely deployed in manufacturing as spreadsheets and as frequently used as cellular phones and pagers.

Mission

• To bring engineering discipline to factory modeling
• To promote complete and integrated modeling of factory systems
• To document and disseminate modeling success stories
• To educate a new generation of modelers

Historical Barriers to Achieving Our Vision

• Cost of acquiring and maintaining computers and software
• Perceived risk in application.

Contemporary Barriers to Achieving Our Mission

• Perceived risk resulting from ad-hoc nature of modeling
• Incomplete and unintegrated nature of models
• Lack of adequate expertise in modeling,
• Absence of compelling case studies.

Process to Achieve Our Vision

• We will assemble currently available technologies and integrate them.
• Then we will form industry-academic teams to work on specific projects.
• The project results will directly address the mission and will drive academic research that also addresses the mission.
• The laboratory is a platform for educating undergraduate, graduate and continuing education students.
• Graduating Ph.D. students go to other academic institutions and further dissemination. Graduating undergraduate and masters students go into industry and further dissemination there.