Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) - Global Research and Innovation in Manufacturing

IMS - Intelligent Manufacturing Systems program is the world's only government supported, multi-lateral, industry-led, and global collaborative research and development program established to develop the next generation of manufacturing and processing technologies and business innovation. The globalization of manufacturing and supply chains CREATES new challenges for industry, and the most effective method to deal with these challenges is through cooperative international research. To this end, many countries have negotiated bi-lateral agreements to conduct cooperative research in hopes of solving manufacturing challenges. The IMS program was created to take this one step further to facilitate global solutions to manufacturing challenges on a multi-lateral basis.

IMS activities include providing a framework for global cooperative research and business innovation in large to small enterprises, assisting project consortium formation, networking people on a global basis, conducting forums to understand current and future manufacturing requirements, and disseminating information resulting from these activities. In so doing, it enhances the quality of life in the world community.

A key aspect is the Manufacturing Technology Platform program 1 that promotes rapid formation of researcher groups to solve global manufacturing challenges. This framework provides a congenial space for cooperation across disciplines, company size, and national borders. Typically, the collaborative research conducted is in the pre-competitive phase or working towards global standards and inter-operability.

IMS operates as a non-profit entity supported by contributions from member countries of the European Union, Japan, Korea, Switzerland, and the United States of America. Industry and research institutions are invited to initiate and/or join global research projects from supporting countries at no charge.

Need for International Cooperation

Because an ever-increasing amount of consumer goods are sold across borders and continents, manufacturing is ever-increasing as a global industry. With supply chains and distribution systems stretching around the world, and global customers providing increasing demand for goods, the manufacturing and related supply chains demand a more global approach to finding solutions to these challenges. Many of these challenges are non-competitive to businesses such as finding more environmentally sustainable forms of manufacturing, or formulating international standards, or developing globally accepted operating procedures for suppliers. Bringing manufacturers together world-wide requires a global manufacturing research program to coordinate activities. The IMS program is the only program of its kind and fulfills that need.

Manufacturing Technology Platform (MTP) Research Program

The Manufacturing Technology Platform (MTP) program 2 was developed as a result of input from researchers at a global conference held in Seoul, Korea, in 2003. The result created a flexible, efficient, and rapid form of bringing researchers together around topics relelvant to current and future industrial challenges. An IMS MTP project addresses joint R&D work by large and small companies, universities and research organizations. The subject of the research should meet IMS objectives to advance manufacturing science, should have industrial relevance as well as scientific and technical merit, and May Be conducted in the research areas defined by the five IMS MTP thematic areas of sustainable manufacturing and safety, energy efficiency, key technologies, standards, and education. The IMS project should add economic and socio-economic value and contribute to the quality of life.

Proposals for research are published on the IMS web site, circulated through its network, and may be presented and promoted at any IMS-sponsored workshop. For the proposal to move forward as an approved IMS MTP project, resource and submission requirements must be met.

Global Contributions

Since its inception in 1995, over USD$ 600 million was spent in IMS-endorsed research. IMS project outcomes have contributed to the advancement of manufacturing across the entire value chain. These research results have been applied to help companies toward goals of sustainability, improved processes, reduced waste and costs, and improved human interaction.

"For example, in the area of processing, the AMITERM 3 project developed two unique mould technologies to dramatically improve the energy balance in the production of large thermoplastic composite parts by heating mainly the resin and textile and not the metal mould. In chemical and petrochemical process industry, CHEM 4 developed and implemented an advanced Decision Support System for process monitoring, data and event analysis, and operations support.

The 3DS 5 project found a way to reduce sheet metal waste during fabrication for the automotive and appliance industry. The project consortium constructed a set of standard benchmark problems that can occur and methods to evaluate them, then developed a digital design system to predict defects. In another project that reduced waste, the INTELIWD 6 project utilized digital color imaging techniques, x-ray imaging, and computer tomography imaging to inspect raw wood products before they went for [...]. This was especially helpful because defects can be hidden from visual inspections.

IMS projects have had a positive impact on the environment in other ways, too. The innovative project TES 7 developed a thermal recycling that recovers metals and plastic from recovered household appliances without disassembly, and the project EFSOT 8 project developed a next-generation soldering technology that is lead-free, and therefore, environmentally-friendly while reducing costs. Projects like GNOSIS 9 helped create environmentally-friendly products through advanced design methods, and other projects like IRMA 10 created virtual reality technology to model product life cycles.

There are also projects that have directly benefited Small-to-Medium-Enterprises (SME) such as COSTWORTH 11, HARMONY 12, and SYMPHONY 13. The software developed from these three projects not only help a new business to get up and running, but can also help existing SMEs to innovate their manufacturing and business processes.

IMS research has also provided new standards that businesses use for machines to communicate. The GCO 14 project created standard interfaces for “plug and play” commercial simulators for the chemical industry, and launched “Co-LAN”, the CAPE-OPEN Laboratories Network that manages the standards. The project PABADIS 15 created “plug and participate” software that is a bridge between old ERP systems allowing new machines to be set up on the shop floor with greater ease. The STEP-NC 16 project extended STEP standards world-wide for milling and turning, and the SMART-fm 17 project created the ISO 1303-236 Standard Application Protocol for the exchange of furniture product data.

Other projects have contributed by managing processes, and envisioning and creating new manufacturing systems. The outcomes are impressive and confirm that international cooperation is required to solve advanced manufacturing challenges."

Advancement of manufacturing science is a strategic pillar of the IMS program and so a primary mission is to disseminate research data from IMS-endorsed research. To fulfill this mission, IMS requests that research projects submit a final report of their research results for publication so that others may reference their work in new research. The full un-edited version of these reports and other project-related information are available on the IMS web portal [www.ims.org].

History

IMS grew out of an initiative from Japan proposed in 1989 by Professor Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, then President of the University of Tokyo. The vision was for a global system of industrial cooperation and technology sharing in cooperative projects for the benefit of mankind and in particular the benefit of partners involved. The formal IMS program began in 1995 following a three-year feasibility study (1992-94). The charter members of the program included Australia, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, and the United States. The European Union joined soon after in 1996, and the Republic of Korea in 1998.

Structure

The IMS structure consists of an International Steering Committee (ISC) headed by a Chairman, Regional Secretariats in each member country/group (Participant Region), and an Inter-Regional Secretariat. The IMS organisation is an international collaborative environment that provides for a robust exchange of ideas and synergy. The IMS organisation is currently comprised of five Regions including the European Union, Japan, Korea, Switzerland, and the United States of America. In total, IMS serves 29 countries throughout the world. IMS is open to new members and encourages governments to join as a full Participant member or as an Associate.

IMS offers the Manufacturing Technology Platform program for industrial research to share experience, best practices, and to develop a common global vision. Each region has a host for IMS that supports the Regional Secretariat office and local activities. The organisation is directed by the ISC that comprises delegations from each Region. Each delegation is led by a Head of Delegation (HoD), and comprises delegates and government observers. The Regional Secretariats are the backbone of the program, as they implement program objectives and make recommendations to their delegation to help steer the organisation. The Inter-Regional Secretariat (IRS) is the administrative arm of IMS, and is directed by the Chairman and the ISC. The ISC Chairmanship along with the IRS rotates on a regular basis. The IRS is currently chaired by Switzerland. The ISC holds regular meetings and workshops to promote research.

  • 18 Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) website