Putting the pieces together using standards

While integration of data among networked heterogeneous systems is currently an active area of research, the exact role that this issue has to play in the Agile Manufacturing (AM) domain and the specific benefits it has to offer, has not been well established so far. This chapter addresses technical aspects related with the analysis, integration, and validation of data and required mechanisms to connect Applications to Information Systems (IS) for AM environments. The integrating methods, architectures, models and toolkits presented in this chapter result from the work developed and in progress for industrial and research international projects. Several technologies are suitable to help the design and construction of open platforms for AM environments. Some of these techniques and methods seem appropriate to set-up and construct open platforms to assist standard-based data exchange and data share on distributed and heterogeneous environments. The use of methods and tools to automate the development of translators saves in development time and guarantees compliance with the standard models adopted in a more rapidly way, enhancing the automatic incorporation of all applications.

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