Flexible Automation and Integrated Manufacturing 1996

ISBN Print: 978-1-56700-067-2

NEXT GENERATION MANUFACTURING SYSTEM - WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

DOI: 10.1615/FAIM1996.740
pages 713-720

Abstract

In 1990, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in Japan set up a program called Intelligent Manufacturing Systems. This program was launched to attempt to resolve some of the shortcomings they believed were evident in industry today. One of the main failings was that different sections of industry were operating too independently from one another.
A Next Generation Manufacturing System, NGMS, program was proposed by to combat this problem. A NGMS is an idealised organisation, where the different sections work towards a common goal. All resources are equally available throughout the organisation. The plan proposed that everything that could be shared, such as information, new practices and new manufacturing techniques, would be shared.
This paper will determine what a NGMS organisation comprises of, and also if industry is willing to adopt it's fundamentals. One will also try to access its impact on local industry, if any.