This research will develop an information and decision theoretic model of integration and identify the characterizing information requirements for three major functions of manufacturing: process design, production planning, and shop floor control. The model development will be conducted in two phases. In Phase I, the investigators will unite previous results in several major disciplines of the literature to uncover the basic sub-functions, decision spaces, logical interrelationships, and required data classes and knowledge classes pertaining to these functions. In Phase II, the model will be calibrated to certain previous efforts, using empirical results obtained from the industry-sponsored Computer Integrated Manufacturing Program at Rensselaer. This research focuses on integration issues that are crucial to the development of competitive manufacturing systems. The results should provide considerable insight into the information- theoretic aspects of future manufacturing systems.
