2008 International Symposium on Computer Science and Computational Technology

Event-driven Model for Manufacturing Execution System Platform

Shang Wenli Duan Bin Shi Haibo

Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenyang, P. R. China, 110016
E-mail: shangwl@sia.cn, duanbin@sia.cn, hbshi@sia.cn

Abstract MES development. But most are research for method,

for example, Multi-Agent model has still no uniform
An event-driven model for manufacturing execution mode, it need more hard to practice.
system platform is introduced. Response mechanism Almost all organizations and scholars insist the
based on event-driven inside platform is described, significance for MES integration, and standardization
and event models are designed, which include two sub- of MES functions and interfaces. These problems are
modules as event configuration and event detection. At still exist on MES research and applications in china,
last, Design and development method of event model is such as limitations in standardization, configuration,
given to show the validity and practicability of the and intelligence, and advancement in these aspects is
event-driven mechanism. also development direction for MES [10].
Section 2 provides an event-driven model for MES
1. Introduction platform, Section 3 describes the running mechanism
of event driven, Section 4 describes the development
At the Late 80s in the 20th Century, the concept of of the event model. Section 5 summarized and
MES (Manufacturing Execution System) is advanced concluded.
by AMR (Advanced Manufacturing Research) in
American. The development of MES has undergoing 2. Structure of event-driven MES platform
five stages [1]: (1) Point MES, which is characterized
as for special production condition and singularity The structure of event-driven MES platform is
function. (2) Integrated MES, which is characterized as shown in Figure 1. The MES platform foundation is
for special industry. (3) I-MES (Integratable MES), composed of infrastructure service, production model
which is reconfigurable and scalable. (4) MESII, in (factory model, product model, event model and
which intelligent technology is applied. (5) Next execution model), visualized modeling tool, real-time
Generation MES, which support collaborative message bus, heterogeneous data sources adaptor, and
manufacturing. MES application suites.
From 1997, The Instrumentation, Systems and OOA&D (Object Oriented Analysis and Design)
Automation Society (ISA) in American begin to method is used to construct factory model, product
establish standard for Enterprise-Control System model, event model and execution model. Factory
Integration, namely ISA-SP95, and function model of resources, enterprise production activities and shop
MES is defined [2]. At the moment, many MES floor business are abstracted and classified, which are
productions are developed based on SP95, for example, described with series special basic semantic meta-
SAPǃSiemensǃEmersonǃRockwellǃABB, and so object. Related models are expressed with complex
on. objects formed by certain semantic meta-objects.
Much research has been done in MES platform Visualized modeling tool is developed to describe
construction and system standardization. Hori [3] put related domain realities by OWL. Ultimately, factory
forward OpenMES frame, which is abstracted from resources are described as factory model, production
electron component manufacturing, and achieve activities are described as event model and enterprise
platform independent by CORBA. Other researchers business is described as execution model.
advanced MES frames based on technology as Product model is to define product, material,
CORBA [4, 5]ǃHolon [6, 7] and Multi-agents [8, 9]. criterion, formulation and process, and to build
These works provide new thought and foundation for assembly BOM (Bill of Material). Assembly BOM
includes information of parts, components and

978-0-7695-3498-5/08 $25.00 © 2008 IEEE 387

DOI 10.1109/ISCSCT.2008.168

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 processes. For a special product, its assembly BOM model to deal with event created. The relation is shown
provides information of process assembly directory, as Figure 2. Event model is configured in production
material racks and feedings. cells with different events as planning changing event,
MES Application Suites alarm event or closedown event, and event is
Efficiency Qualify Production Web Reporter
Web Digital
Meter
connected with label. Execution model is connected
with event model, which is encapsulated with
Real-time Message Bus
operation flow script. By system modeling, connection
between events and states is constructed, so system is
Database Event Service Data able to dynamically response to process changes by
Product Model Manager Manager Manager Writer/Reader
production event.
Visual Factory Model Heterogeneous DataSource Adaptor
Modelling
Tool
Event Model SQL Server
Real-time
Historial Dtabase
OPC RS232 Ă
4. Event model for MES platform
Exectution Model
Automated Equipment/HMI
4.1. Event and related definitions
Figure 1. Structure of event-driven MES platform
Factory model is to define factory, equipments, Event is abstract description of production activities
product line and relevant organization mode. On the in assembly process, which has several forms, such as
basic of factory model, production event of product material supplying event created while supply material
process is defined. Production event is basic element to to local rack, or abstract entity as planning changing
manage production activities. Product process can be event created while planning change during assembly
controlled by production event established. process. Event is triggered while a certain or a series
Event Model is to define production event of data label change.
manufacturing process related to the Factory Model. Event attributes is description to certain
Execution model is to define production and operation characters of event. An event has multi-attributes,
rules, flow of material and information to control and
which constructs event attributes set. Let P denotes
trace manufacturing process.
attribute, then attribute set of event Ei is
3. Response mechanism based on event p ( Ei ) ^p1 , p2 ,..., pi ,..., pn ` , pi denotes the i th
In manufacturing system, production event leads attribute of event Ei . The attribute of event can be
message flow and structure change, which active and extended according to applications.
drive manufacturing system to change, thus is the Meta-event is the minimum logic unit of event
foundation to construct variable manufacturing system. partition. There exist various event related to
Information mutation between application systems and manufacturing process. some event can be composed
foundations (background services) of the MES of a basic event logic or several related basic event
platform developed is realized by event trigger. The logic, these basic event logic is namely meta-event.
event model in MES platform is to describe the Event association is to describe association
message in production as event. between event E and event E ' , which is denoted as
Product Factory Link ( E , E ' ) . If event E is directly associated to
Model Model
Visual
production event E ' , then describe as E o E ' ' . expression
“ o ” illustrates the directly association between
modeling trigger Event call
tool Model Execution
Label
trigger
Model events. If event E is not directly associated to event
Event monitor dispose E '' , but is related to event E '' via event E ' , then
feedback
event E is indirectly association to event E ' ' , marked
Data collection
Database as E Ÿ E ' ' .
Infrostucture services
services and dispose
components
database Association attributes is to describe event
association characters. An event association has multi-
attributes, which construct event association attributes
set, marked as plink ( E , En ) ^P1 , P2 ,..., Pi ,..., Pn ` .
Figure 2. Response mechanism based on event
Execution model is based on Event model, which
encapsulates logic of event response to business. While
event is triggered, system services will call Execution

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 4.2. Design of event model All kinds of event is able to be definite in event
configure module, event is configured to relevant
Event model includes two sub-modules: event production cells. So production activity in
configuration and event detection. The function manufacturing process is mapped with event in
structure of model is shown as Figure 3. production cells of platform.
costumed Event Class in event configure module is designed as
Event Configure follows:
Configure event to cell (1) Event_Configuration, which is main windows
Event Model Event detect template
form class of event model, provides function as
definition event configuration and binding event detect
Event Detect Configure trigger to template.
Template Configure business logic
(2) ET_Form, which is event set form class,
Binding event with
detect template display all event in database.
Figure 3. Function structure of event model (3) Event_TypeTable, which is meta-event class,
Event configuration module is to configure event and used to definite meta-event in production
to production cell. In factory model, all the production that derive other events.
equipments in production line are described with (4) Event_SubTypeTable, which is event sub-
production cell in factory model. Event is created in class, inherit from class Event_Type, and used
production equipments during manufacturing process, to definite event. Event definite is combination
so event should be configured to these production cell of several meta-events or extend of a meta-
modeled. event.
Event detect module is to configure event trigger Class in event detect module is designed as follows:
condition, and construct business logic to dispose (1) EM_Form, which is event detect template
event created. Event detect module is composed of form class, used to create, modify, delete detect
event dispose method and event trigger condition. template, and display all detect template in
Event dispose method is to describe which approaches database.
MES platform adopts to response event create. Event (2) Event_ModelTable, which is event detect
trigger condition definite the condition to create event, template class, used to definite event detect
which is related to data collected in production templates.
equipments (production variables in factory model). (3) Model_Fields, which is event detect template
If the trigger condition is meet, event management attributes class, used to save event trigger
services will call business logic in event detect module condition and business transaction logic.
to dispose event created. Event configuration flow is (4) Model_MoreInfo, which is event detect model
shown as Figure 4. Firstly, production event possibly additional info class, used to record special
occur in manufacturing cell is definite, and assign attributes of detect models.
event to the cell. The next step is to definite event
detect model for each production event assigned, then
trigger condition and dispose flow is configured.
Factory Visual modeling tool
Model

Monitor
trigger condition
Configure event to cell Event
Event
Manager
Model Assign detect model to event Services

Execution event object notification

Model

Figure 5ˊEvent trigger condition setting

Figure 4. Event configuration flow Event-driven MES platform software has been
developed with Visual Studio 2008, using C#, Frame
5. Development of event model Work 3.5. Presentation layer is developed with WPF

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 (WebSphere Portlet Factory), business layer is Automation, 2003. Proceedings ETFA '03. IEEE Conference,
developed with WCF (Windows Communication 16-19 Sept. 2003, 2(2): 50-57.
Foundation) services, and background database is
using Sql Server 2005. In Figure 5, set event trigger [5] Cheng F T, Teng C Y. An object-based controller for
equipment communications in semiconductor manufacturing.
condition is shown as a part of software interface. Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 2002,
18(5-6): 387-402.
6. Conclusions
[6] Pascal Blanc, Isabel Demongodin, Pierre Castagna. A
In this paper a new event-driven model for holonic approach for manufacturing execution system design:
manufacturing execution system in introduced. Event An industrial application. Engineering Applications of
model includes two sub-modules: event configuration Artificial Intelligence, 2008, 21(3): 315-33.
and event detection. Event configuration module is to
[7] Valckenaers P, Van B H. Holonic Manufacturing
configure event to production cell. Event detect Execution Systems. CIRP Annals - Manufacturing
module is to configure event trigger condition, and Technology , 2005, 54(1): 427-432.
construct business logic to dispose event created.
Firstly, production event possibly occur in [8] Paul Verstraete, Paul Valckenaers. Towards cooperating
manufacturing cell is definite, and assign event to the planning and manufacturing execution systems. Information
cell. The next step is to definite event detect model for Control Problems in Manufacturing 2006, 2006: 371-376.
each production event assigned, then trigger condition
and dispose flow is configured. [9] Wada H H, Okada S H. An Autonomous Agent Approach
for Manufacturing Execution Control Systems. Integrated
Further research work will be done on follow areas:
Computer-Aided Engineering, 2002, 9(3): 251-262.
on the extension to multithreading event process
instead of sequential process in platform, so as to [10] Chai Tianyou, Zheng Binglin, Hu Yi, Huang Xiaoling.
improve process speed and efficiency. Research status and development trend of
Manufacturing Execution System. Control Engineering
Acknowledgments of China, 2005, 12(6): 505-510.

The authors acknowledge the financial support of

the National Natural Science Foundation of China
funding (67646114) and Hi-tech Research and
Development Program of China funding
(2007AA04Z1A4). The authors would also like to
acknowledge the helpful comments and suggestions of
the MES platform software group. Their efforts are
greatly appreciated.

References
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[4] P. M. P. A. Blanco, M. A. Poli, M. R. P.

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