A management and control architecture for factory-floor systems: from concept to reality

Abstract This paper introduces MMCS, :a multi-level management and control architecture for factory-floor CIM systems. The thrust of the paper is that while a generic (software) architecture is a necessary prerequisite for designing and implementing flexible CIM systems, its successful application is dependent on an underlying CIM strategy and conditioned by factors specific to a given manufacturing environment. The utility of MMCS is demonstrated through reference to a real system that was successfully implemented during 1987 and 1988 in the food processing industry.