Enabled dynamic tasks planning in Web-based virtual manufacturing environments

Manufacturing tasks planning decides processes and sequences of product development. The task planning systems developed so far are not fully satisfactory in manufacturing because of islands of automation and uncertainty caused by disregarding resources in real manufacturing environments. This paper discusses dynamic tasks planning enabled by a virtual manufacturing environment (VE) which provides an effective three-dimensional visualization and user intensive interaction. Internet technology is used to provide a feasible tool for the data update and access timely. Manufacturing data can be retrieved through Internet by integrating tasks planning and the Web interface. Therefore, the manufacturing tasks planning in a Web-based VE can utilise technologies of the visualization and resources sharing, which enables a dynamic and efficient use of manufacturing resources. The proposed method provides a solution of cost-effective, platform independent, and sharing visualized information over the Internet for virtual manufacturing. Applications are presented including process planning for shop floor fabrication; assembly planning for product completion; and disassembly planning for the product end-life management.