A feature-based and multi-agents-based collaborative manufacturing framework for aircraft structural parts

Due to the lack of efficiency communication and collaboration among each manufacturing department, it makes long lead-time and high cost for the manufacturing of aircraft structure parts which have the characteristics of multi-varieties, complexity structure, and small batch. In order to address these challenge issues, a feature-based and multi-agents-based manufacturing collaborative framework which includes process planning agent, NC programming agent, fixture designing agent, cost estimation agent and production management agent for aircraft structural parts is proposed, and the collaboration among each other is realized based on feature, the collaboration between fixture design and NC programming is described in detail. The prototype developed based on the framework has been utilized in a large aviation enterprise, and the result shows that the lead-time and cost are decreased.