Systems Architectures for Manufacturing, Production & Laboratory Automation Infrastructures

Introduction

Questions to Think About

1. Would you recommend that someone build a large, custom house without plans? 
2. How successful (long term) would custom home builders be without plans? 
3. Would you recommend that someone go on a long sight seeing trip without a plan or maps?
4. If the goal was to see as many important landmarks as possible, how successful would that trip be without plans or maps?

So why do so many companies design their operations without any maps, plans, or models?  Does it make sense to automate operations that have no map, plan, or model? 

Some people thrive on being unplanned, sporadic, goalless, directionless, unguided.  It's even nice for us to occasionally do that when we need a break from work. 

But in today's dog-eat-dog world of business, people without a plan won't last very long in business. 

Automated Systems Architecture History

Back in the 1980's automated systems architecture were hot topics.  The two primary models that we identified with and are still used today are:

• Purdue Laboratory for Applied Industrial Control -- don't miss the PERA Master Planning Handbook
• National Bureau of Standards (now NIST - National Institute of Standards & Technology) -- don't miss SIMA

All of the information (we think) at the two above sites is FREE!  For an operations person -- It is the best free advice you will ever receive.  Other than our website, of course! :-)

The only problem with "research" is that most "real" operations people are too busy to stop and take the time to understand it.  Hopefully, we can help bridge that gap between research and the "real" world because this is great information if you take the time to understand it. 

Derivatives of the Purdue Model

• ISA published the S95 model Part 1 and Part 2. 
• Enterprise Integration Clearinghouse, Peter Bernu, Griffith University, Australia
• Open Modular Automation Controls (OMAC)
• PERA Enterprise Integration

Derivatives of the NIST model

• Open Applications Group
• Chemical Industry Data Exchange
• RosettaNet

Other Models

• ARC Advisory Group
• Sematech CIM Framework Version 2
• MIMOSA -- Machinery Information Management Open Systems Alliance

For Batch Processing Models

• ISA S88 Batch control Models Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Recipe Representation
• World Batch Forum

Is There One Universal Model?

We developed our own generic operations model.  Mainly, so that we have a "big picture" to design from and then to look back up and see how each component fits into the "big picture". 

It is impossible to develop one architecture that will apply to all infrastructures.  There are two methods for developing your own model. 

1. Start with the largest, most complex model cut out the functionality that is not required.  It is much easier to cut and paste from someone else's template than to recreate everything yourself. 
2. Start with our simple generic model and "continuously improve" your models as you learn and understand all the research available. 

What we recommend is a combination of the two.  Read all the complex stuff then develop the simplest model that you can (don't worry about including all the details or functionality).  Go back and review the complex stuff, then make your model more complex.  Keep repeating over and over until your model is sufficiently complex to accurately model your operations.  It's the best of both worlds -- you can develop your own custom model without totally reinventing the wheel. 

We try to offer a fair and balanced opinion on every page of our website.  We would appreciate more information from other users to express their opinions which we will then incorporate.  If you have questions or comments please post them on our message board (see button in left hand column) so that others can read and benefit.