VIMIMS is concerned with establishing an internet-based virtual institute
focused on knowledge sharing and integration of competencies in the educational
and research area of analysis, design and performance evaluation of industrial
manufacturing systems.
The project aims to promote an active and participatory role of students by
involving them directly in concrete project works based on real industrial
case studies (provided by two industrial external partners of the consortium).
VIMIMS is to be implemented in an Internet portal which offers students and
researchers from around the globe opportunities to study, teach, research
and communicate.
a)
To develop and offer a “research and educational portal” to the international
scientific community, thus contributing to the creation of a common understanding
and knowledge base of methodologies and techniques for planning of industrial
manufacturing systems;
b) To provide students, at different levels of their educational life, with
theoretical lectures and practical laboratory activities, thus encouraging
a cross-curricular approach;
c) To integrate and allow common sharing and active use of software tools
and services developed in previous national research projects in the area
of planning of manufacturing systems in local laboratories of the partners;
d) To promote the active and participative role of students through their
direct involvement in transnational projects teams working on real industrial
case studies;
e) To develop a cooperative environment for the physical and virtual exchange
of students, teachers and researchers;
f) To establish a bridge between research, educational and industrial practices.
1.
Virtual lecture theatres
2. Virtual Tours
3. Virtual laboratories
4. Virtual library
5. Content providers
6. Network services:
i. Content services (modules & tools)
ii. Communication Services (Blackboard, Agenda)
iii. Interaction Services (Forum, Chat in real time, User Homepages)
iv. Evaluation Services (Self-assess, examinations)
v. Administration Services (Administer course, edit course with on line web
editor, edit quiz)
The
VIMIMS platform will consist of five sections modelled on the structure of
a real university providing educational material and tools for theoretical
lectures, practical laboratory activities, and virtual visits to industrial
manufacturing companies. There will be auxiliary services on the Internet
site, such as the VIMIMS chat, forum, messenger, and other communication services,
to facilitate communication amongst students and researchers.
VIMIMS courses will be designed according to a modularization principle in
order to allow customisation and delivery of on-line courses in the different
educational institutions of each national project partner.
The
VIMIMS virtual institute concept calls for a coherent analogy with a “real”
institute and this is the main design principle in the creation of the architecture
of the VIMIMS web portal site. The VIMIMS environment is not being created
to completely replace "face-to-face" learning, but to support it
with specific distance learning components, with adjunctive contents and the
support of collaborative on-line services.
Objectives
Through
the VIMIMS web portal site two main "views" of the VIMIMS virtual
institute will be provided:
1. The “USER VIEW" is the main view and it is structured into four sections
with each section conforming to the physical analogy.
a) Yhe lecture theatres are the virtual environment where teachers hold VIMIMS
on-line courses and students attend them.
b) Yhe laboratory is the virtual environment where students (or other laboratory
users) use VIMIMS software tools.
c) Yhe library is the virtual environment where references and scientific
content on the subject of MIMS (Modelling of Industrial Manufacturing Systems)
are collected.
d) Yhe virtual factory is the environment where virtual tours of industrial
factories can take place; educational institutes might organise visits of
real industrial factories; this section allows collecting these visits in
a virtual environment.
2. The "CONTENT PROVIDER VIEW" is a service view for building and
managing the VIMIMS learning contents (i.e., it is the virtual environment
where content providers design and deliver contents on MIMS subjects). The
content provider view is structured in one section called content provider's
workshop. Everyone can access the VIMIMS platform using Anonymous access on
the VIMIMS web homepage.
To
achieve functionality the approach taken is that each VIMIMS section is developed
according to five different user profiles. Each type of user has different
requirements of the virtual institute and each type of user is provided with
a specific mode of access in order to control her/his activities within the
institute. The five types of user have been denoted as:
1. Content provider – uses both “user view” and the “content provider view”
of the portal. The content provider uses the “user view” to access lecture
theatres, laboratory, library and virtual factory scenarios. The content provider
uses the “content provider view” for on line design and delivery of teaching
course modules
2. The teacher uses both views: the “user view” to design, deliver and supervise
lectures, courses and projects; and the “content provider view” to access
and view modules developed by content providers. A teacher may be assisted
by a teacher tutor (content providers or generic tutors) to hold his/her course
and to administer utilisation of software tools (e.g., answer demands on tools).
Consequently content providers have access in the “user view” to the laboratory
and lecture theatre sections.
3. Student type A: the laboratory user and the visitor use only the “user
view”.
4. Student type B: attends lectures and courses and uses the laboratory, the
library and the virtual factory sections.
5. Student type C: the lab user uses the software tools provided in the laboratory.
The visitor uses the library & can access course demonstrations, software
tools and “free-access” virtual factories.
The first release of VIMIMS will be dealing with three main methodologies
and techniques for manufacturing systems modelling formal descriptive methods,
analytical tools and simulation tools.
Manufacturing system modelling may use different formalisms and modelling methods, depending on the field addressed by the problem considered and the aspects to be described. Various modelling techniques and methods have been developed in the past, ranging from methods modelling a single view of a system to more integrated methods.
In VIMIMS, a manufacturing systems modelling method (developed at Politecnico di Milano and called MES - Manufacturing Entity Structure) allows the description of all various aspects of a manufacturing system (i.e., physical, functional and operational aspects), based on the object oriented paradigm. The MES method will be used, together with another method, the IDEF, as learning aid for this topic.
Analytic tools. Two main approaches are presented in VIMIMS. One (the French LAG approach to analytical tools) is based on the use of deterministic and stochastic discrete event models. The second approach (the IFA approach) is based on the logistic operating curves technique. The LAG modelling methods, based on Petri nets, Markov chains, queueing systems and fluid stochastic models, are to be used for the concept and analysis phases of the design process. Using fluid stochastic models and an approximation technique, a method which provides quantitative parameters of system performance (throughput, cycle time, work-in-process, number of backordered demands, etc) is derived.
A software tool, called EVALIGNE, developed at LAG, is described in detail in VIMIMS and used for the performance evaluation of various manufacturing systems and in some industrial case studies. Following the IFA approach, the funnel model, throughput diagrams and logistic operating curves are three analytical modelling tools that are useful for the analysis of the logistic processes of already existing manufacturing systems. These modelling methods were developed at the Institute of Production Systems and Logistics. The models illustrate the influences on, and interrelations of, key logistic performance measures, such as resource utilisation, WIP level, throughput time, lateness and service level.
The VIMIMS section on the modelling methodologies will demonstrate how the algorithms can be applied to sample data, in order to carry out the analysis of the logistic operating state of a manufacturing system and the resulting performance potentials in terms of the key logistic performance measures.
Simulation Tools. Simulation methods are powerful detailed design tools allowing the building of virtual, simulated manufacturing models acting as test fields for conducting experiments on the influence of design on production, for supporting operations planning and for testing new methods of production management.
In the VIMIMS learning environment, teaching units on the most important requirements for discrete event simulation systems and the current state of the art of such systems are available. Simple examples of applications as well as real case studies developed and solved by using simulation approaches are also dealt with.
A classification of simulation models according to different dimensions that characterizes them, such as the type of computer, the representation of the model, the representation of the model's states, the study objective according to temporal properties and the solution technique, is also available.
Main learning issues addressed
The VIMIMS platform has been planned in order to be modular and adaptive to the characteristics and needs of the users, the teaching methodology of the teachers, the peculiarity of the content, and topics concerning the different subjects. In addition to the educational materials, a great number of synchronous and asynchronous services have been provided as routes for users to get in contact and interact. The project will be able to examine whether teachers and students will be able to a greater degree to share questions, information and knowledge.
The
VIMIMS consortium will test this integrated learning scheme in the context
of different educational institutions, ranging from Universities (i.e. IFA,
INPG and Politecnico di Milano) and research centres (i.e. SZTAKI) to secondary
schools (i.e. ENFAPI Briantea).
Though developed and tested in a university environment, the project also
addresses industry needs. There is recognition of the fact that, over the
last few years, an increasing interest in distance learning technology has
been seen in the industrial world. This is easily explained by the need for
cost-effective continuing education in order to maintain the skills and competencies
of employees and to help the merging of knowledge acquired in different places.
Other potential users of this environment may be persons interested in increasing
their skills independently and established practitioners interested in keeping
up to date with state of the art.
Any Internet user can freely access the homepage, which contains descriptive
and promotional materials relating to the project, to the partners and to
the EU Minerva action. Two links as registered and anonymous user (guest)
are available to access the Virtual Institute.