I2MSTEEL

Objectives

A completely new paradigm of automation and information technology systems for intelligent and integrated manufacturing in steel production (I2MSteel) is envisioned to overcome the current production challenge, which is to combine the large variety of existing processes and plants into a single, highly interlinked process chain. The suggested solution is the application of holonic agent technology to build this new paradigm. A holonic agent is an autonomous and flexible computational system operating in a particular environment. Agents have ‘social’ abilities, allowing them to engage with other components through communication and coordination. Two other technologies are also required: a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) to create an underlying framework to provide the agents with all the necessary information; and semantic techniques (ontologies, in this case) to give the agents an ‘understanding’ of their environment and of the data coming from the SOA.

Results

In I2MSteel, CETIC is identifying shortcomings in data exchanges and SOA deployment in an industrial environment, while exercising semantic skills in a new domain (the steel industry). The experience gained can be directly applied to help solve problems of local SMEs, especially subcontractors, in the industrial sector.

Added value

In I2MSteel, CETIC is identifying shortcomings in data exchanges and SOA deployment in an industrial environment, while exercising semantic skills in a new domain (the steel industry). The experience gained can be directly applied to help solve problems of local IT companies, especially subcontractors, in the industrial sector.