The Product Modelling and Realisation Group investigates computational methods for industrial applications of computing, particularly engineering, on the basis of models of engineering processes and products. The group consists presently of the following researchers: M.Sc. Mervi Ranta and M.Sc. Juha-Miikka Nurmilaakso. The group is headed by Prof. Martti Mäntylä. The group plans to recruit 1-2 new researchers till end of 1997. The group is located in the Innopoli building of the Otaniemi Science Park.
The overall goal of the research is to provide novel information technology based tools for creating and deploying product data through the entire engineering process and the entire life-cycle of an industrial product. This covers both the new product development process (CAD, CAM) and the customer order satisfaction process.
IMS/GNOSISThe manufacturing sector has historically been the key to wealth generation and human prosperity. However, the manufacturing world has reached an impasse, with its hitherto accepted value to society being questioned due to its undesirable effects. Problems include environmental difficulties such as natural resource depletion, excess waste generation and political ones such as international trade friction. Reactive and uncoordinated remedies are being applied to these problems, but these often achieve only short-term, partial success. Without a concerted and radical initiative, the manufacturing sector will in the future be faced with either self-imposed or externally-imposed restrictions.
In tandem with these political and environmental issues, the world is also experiencing forces for socio-economic change. Consumers are demanding more value-for-money and more customized products. The established producing countries are experiencing greater and more diversified competition, yet the costs of research and development that will allow companies to stay competitive are becoming prohibitive.
The ultimate goal of GNOSIS is to help promote a new manufacturing paradigm which will overcome or minimize the problems inherent in the existing mass production paradigm. Thus a Post-Mass Production Paradigm is proposed, which involves a new approach to manufacturing, recognizes resource limitations and the balance of nature in order to achieve a sustainable manufacturing environment.
This paradigm will be realized by the development of products, processes and industrial enterprises that exhibit greater adaptability and growth potential together with congeniality to the natural environment and human society.
A key enabler in achieving this goal is the effective use, re-use and sharing of the knowledge resource amongst cooperating and possibly geographically distributed participants. GNOSIS aims to develop techniques for facilitating the systematization and hence more effective sharing and application of knowledge relevant to all aspects of the manufacturing life-cycle within the context of the post mass-production paradigm. GNOSIS is therefore also a catalyst for the development of a large-scale, distributed, knowledge and information infrastructure.
The original test case was concluded in 1994. See the final report of the test case for progress at that stage. After completion of the original test case, GNOSIS partners are presently preparing proposals for follow-up projects to be implemented in the full scale IMS programme expected to start in Spring 1996. The topics of these will include (but not necessarily be limited to):