Collaborative Flexible Manufacturing System Development Supported by PLM Tools

The main purpose of this thesis is to develop a model for Flexible Manufacturing System development that supports collaborative engineering and concurrent activities in order to achieve efficiency in the development process. The model is supported by PLM concepts that provides the structure to achieve the concurrency and collaborative work. The thesis attempt to propose a solution to the high degree of sequencing on activities and the engineering disciplines involved on the FMS development. Typically, the FMS development starts with the mechanical design, followed by the physical implementation and later the control design and implementation. As an example, for the control engineering area, few activities can be made before the FMS is physically available. The result of this kind of work is a project with a large duration and a high degree of uncertainly on its deadline. Is a key issue to reduce the deadline uncertainly and increase the efficiency of the FMS development project. To fulfill that, is required to prioritize and arrange the old practices and convert it into a processes well defined and supported by known frameworks, as is PLM approach. This change will bring additional benefits such as an innovating organization, and efficient and effective work teams, which have an effect on the cost and time consuming. In order to minimize the problem, has been proposed a model which contextualizes the facilities development within the product lifecycle, facilitating the concurrent work and supported by PLM tools. Because the model is based on a collabora¬tive environment, are considered standards processes modeling languages, such as IdefO and BPMN diagrams, in order to specify the inputs, outputs, resources and directives that controls every stage of the lifecycle. Each of the lifecycle stage has its own process diagram that defines clearly the concurrency of the engineering ar¬eas. At the same time, is defined the tools that supports the activities accomplishment. Finally, the results and conclusion are exposed. These are grouped by five major's issues: the facilities development model, the collaboration and concurrency, the innovation, the PLM tools application and the activities integration. For the facilities model is analyzed the contribution that the model has, the benefits obtained with the concurrent activities, the enhancing of innovations and it consequences in the FMS development, the identification of the appropriated PLM tools, and the additional benefits achieved with the integration of the information.