Manufacturing communication: A review of the MMS approach

The introduction of computer-based machines on the shop floor has increased the productivity of the manufacturing industry. However, these machines work as stand-alone machines or work as small groups that optimize only a section of the shop floor. The full potential of automated machines will not be realized until all shop floor equipment is integrated so that the global enterprise goal is achieved in an optimum way. Because machines are manufactured by different vendors and use different proprietary protocols, they are typically integrated only with a custom-built interface. Hence, Manufacturing Message Specification (MMS) was designed as a communication standard for messaging between various manufacturing machines. This paper discusses some important features and principles of MMS. It also gives a survey of MMS objects and services with suitable examples. The last part of the paper discusses the merits and shortcomings of MMS.