What Is Virtual Manufacturing?
Virtual manufacturing refers to the comprehensive application of simulation, modeling, and analysis technologies and tools to enhance manufacturing design and production decision-making and control at all levels. [1]
Virtual manufacturing
Introduction to Virtual Manufacturing
- Virtual Reality technology is the use of sensory organization simulation equipment and dynamic models of real or unreal environments to generate or create an environment or reality that humans can perceive, enabling humans to rely on intuition to act on virtual environments of computer-generated 3D simulation models. Virtual manufacturing technology based on virtual reality technology integrates design and manufacturing processes under a unified model. It integrates various processes and technologies related to product manufacturing in a three-dimensional, dynamic simulation of real processes. On top of the physical digital model. Its purpose is to simulate the impact of various activities of the product's future manufacturing process and the entire product life cycle on product design in a timely and parallel manner with the help of modeling and simulation technology during the product design stage, to predict, detect and evaluate product performance and products. Manufacturability and much more. In this way, production can be organized more effectively, economically, and flexibly, decision-making and control levels can be enhanced, and retroactive changes caused by early-stage design to post-manufacturing can be effectively reduced to minimize product development cycles and costs and optimize product design quality 2. Maximize production efficiency.
The role of virtual manufacturing
- Virtual manufacturing can also simulate imaginary manufacturing activities. It does not consume real resources and energy. The process performed is a virtual process and the products produced are also virtual. The application of virtual manufacturing technology will have a profound impact on the development of future manufacturing, and its major effects are mainly as follows:
- Using software to carry out the five major elements of the manufacturing system (people, organization management, logistics, information flow, energy flow)
- Simulation cab
- It can deepen people's knowledge and understanding of the production process and manufacturing system, which is conducive to the theoretical sublimation of it, and better guides the actual production, that is, to optimize the overall configuration of the production process and manufacturing system, and promote a huge leap in productivity.
- In the process of interaction and interaction between virtual manufacturing and real manufacturing, it can comprehensively improve the organization and management of the enterprise, and it has an immeasurable impact on correct decision-making. For example, you can make predictions on production plans, lead times, production yields, etc., to identify problems in time and improve the actual manufacturing process.
- The application of virtual manufacturing technology will accelerate the training of enterprise talents. We all know that the simulated cab has a good effect on the training of pilots and pilots, and virtual manufacturing will have a similar effect. For example: operation training for production personnel, emergency treatment of abnormal processes, etc.
New concept of virtual manufacturing
- "Virtual manufacturing" is a new concept first proposed by the United States in recent years. What is virtual manufacturing? What does it include
- Application of virtual manufacturing in five-axis simultaneous machining of complex surfaces
- The definition of the University of Florida Gloria J. Wiens is:
- Virtual manufacturing is the concept of performing the manufacturing process on a computer as it is. The virtual model is used to predict the potential problems of the product's function and manufacturability before the actual manufacturing.
- (VM is a concept of executing manufacturing processes in computers as well as in the real world,? Where? Virtual models? Allow for? Prediction of potential problems for product functionality and manufacturability before real manufacturing occurs.) This definition emphasizes that VM Same "" virtual model "and" prediction ", that is, focusing on results.
- The definition of the US Air Force Wright Laboratory is:
- "Virtual manufacturing is a comprehensive application of simulation, modeling, and analysis technologies and tools to enhance manufacturing design and production decisions and control at all levels. (VM is the integrated application of simulation, modeling and analysis technologies and tools to enhance manufacturing design and production decisions and control at all process levels.) The definition looks at means.
- The definition of Edward Lin & etc at the University of Maryland is:
- Another representative definition is given by University of Maryland Edward Lin & etc. "Virtual manufacturing is an integrated, integrated manufacturing environment for enhancing decision-making and control at all levels." (VM is an integrated, synthetic manufacturing environment exercised to enhance all levels of decision and control.), then focus on the environment.
- Obviously, the above definitions emphasize different aspects, and some people even think that it is not necessary to have only one definition. However, for discussion and communication, it is generally believed that it is necessary to define the VM.
Summary analysis of virtual manufacturing
- Comprehensive international representative literature gives the following definition of virtual manufacturing: Virtual manufacturing is the essential realization of the actual manufacturing process on a computer, that is, using computer simulation and virtual reality technology to work in groups on a computer to achieve product The essential processes of product manufacturing such as design, process planning, manufacturing, performance analysis, quality inspection, and management and control of processes at all levels of the enterprise to enhance decision-making and control capabilities at all levels of the manufacturing process.
- It can be seen that although "virtual manufacturing" is not actual manufacturing, but it realizes the essential process of actual manufacturing. It is a kind of simulation and prediction of product functions, performance, and processability through computer virtual models. , To improve people's level of prediction and decision-making, making manufacturing technology out of the narrow world that mainly depends on experience, has developed into a new stage of comprehensive forecasting.
Virtual manufacturing research content
- The research content of virtual manufacturing technology is extremely extensive. In addition to the common technologies involved in virtual reality technology, the main research contents of the virtual manufacturing field itself are:
- Theoretical system of virtual manufacturing;
- Three-dimensional visualization of design information and production process;
- Open architecture of virtual manufacturing system;
- Virtual product assembly simulation;
- Man-machine collaboration in virtual environments and virtual manufacturing processes.
- Generally speaking, research on virtual manufacturing is related to specific application environments and objects. Due to the different requirements of the application, there are different focuses, so three schools have emerged, namely, design-centric virtual manufacturing and production-oriented. Centralized Virtual Manufacturing and Control-centric Virtual Manufacturing.
Virtual manufacturing applications
- The widespread application of virtual manufacturing technology will fundamentally change the current manufacturing model and will have a huge impact on related industries. It can be said that virtual manufacturing technology determines the future of enterprises and determines whether the manufacturing industry can stand unbeaten in competition. place.
- Virtual manufacturing (VM) is a new concept proposed internationally. VM and AM are closely linked. The characteristics of the VM are: when new market opportunities arise, organize several related companies to work together to reorganize and coordinate the work of different companies and factories or workshops in different locations. Before the operation, it is necessary to analyze whether the combination is optimal, whether it can be coordinated, and evaluate the benefits and risks after production. This joint company is called a virtual company. Virtual companies operate through virtual manufacturing systems under certain circumstances and conditions, including physical foundations, legal guarantees, social environment, and information technology. Therefore, research and development of virtual manufacturing technology (VMT) and virtual manufacturing system (VMS) is of great significance. The United States calls AM a 21st century manufacturing development strategy.
- Virtual Reality Technology includes two parts: virtual manufacturing technology and virtual enterprise.
- Virtual manufacturing technology will fundamentally change the traditional manufacturing model of design, trial production, modified design, and mass production. Before the product is actually produced, first generate a soft product prototype (Soft Prototype) in the virtual manufacturing environment to replace the traditional hard prototype (Hard Prototype) for testing, predict and evaluate its performance and manufacturability, and shorten the product design With the manufacturing cycle, reduce product development costs and improve the system's ability to respond quickly to market changes.
- The virtual enterprise is to quickly respond to a certain market demand. Through the information superhighway, different enterprises involved in the product are temporarily formed into a cooperative economic entity without walls, beyond space constraints, relying on computer networks and unified command. The characteristics of a virtual enterprise are the incomplete function of the enterprise, the decentralization of the region, and the non-permanent nature of the organizational structure, that is, the virtualization of functions, the virtualization of the organization, and the virtualization of the region.
Key Features of Virtual Manufacturing
- 1. The product and manufacturing environment is a virtual model. The virtual model is designed, manufactured, tested on the computer, and even the designer or user can "enter" the virtual manufacturing environment to check its design, processing, assembly and operation without relying on it. It can be used for the repeated modification of the traditional prototype; it can also store the developed products (components) in the computer, which not only greatly saves storage costs, but also can quickly change the design according to user needs or market changes, and quickly enter mass production, which can greatly Reduce the development time of new products, improve quality and reduce costs.
- 2. Different professionals in different locations and different departments can work on the same product model at the same time, communicate with each other, share information, and reduce the time and error in generating a large number of documents and transmitting them. High quality and low consumption respond to market changes.
The role of virtual manufacturing
- The application of virtual manufacturing technology will have a profound impact on the development of future manufacturing
- Virtual Prototyping Design for Book Rapid Prototyping
- 1. Use software to comprehensively simulate the five major elements of the manufacturing system (people, organization management, logistics, information flow, energy flow).
- 2, can deepen people's understanding and understanding of the production process and manufacturing system.
- 3. In the process of interaction and interaction between virtual manufacturing and real manufacturing
- 4. The application of virtual manufacturing technology will accelerate the cultivation of enterprise talents.