Holonic manufacturing systems: Phase II

The Holonic Manufacturing Systems (HMS) Project is an international industrially driven project addressing systemization and standardization, research, pre-competitive development, deployment and support of architectures and technologies for open, distributed, intelligent, autonomous and co-operating systems on a global basis. During its ten-year program, the HMS Project has developed specifications of holonic architectures, a computer-aided environment for the encapsulation, reuse and integration of holonic systems technologies, and libraries of demonstrated, reusable technologies and tools for the construction of holonic manufacturing systems. These next-generation holonic systems are providing the flexibility, agility and robustness necessary for the rapid delivery of custom manufactured products in competitive global markets. By building on the results of Phase I of the HMS Project that emphasized the development of generic technologies and their demonstration in specific application areas, Phase 2 will achieve their integration and application at three levels of the manufacturing and supply chain enterprise: Holonic Control Devices, consisting of the technical manufacturing equipment; Holonic Production Sites and Physical Equipment, comprising the manufacturing work cells; Holonic Planning and Execution Systems, providing scheduling and control of the holonic manufacturing system and a virtual test Sed environment for holonic system implementations; and Holonic Man-Machine and Emulation Systems, a virtual test-bed environment for holonic system implementations.