EAGER: A Prototype Network Architecture for Advanced Manufacturing Built with ManufacturingHUB.org and US Ignite!

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This EArly-Concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) provides funding for the identification of the fundamental barriers to the realization and adoption of an open innovation manufacturing network. The architecture for the system will be based on the open source HUBzero platform for computation and collaboration developed at Purdue University. The investigators will combine their HUBzero-derived expertise in information technology and Web 2.0 with locally available knowledge of design, manufacturing, and Indiana manufacturers to explore and test alternatives of the vision with small- to medium-size manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) and the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for which SMEs comprise the supply chain. In particular, the following areas will be investigated to identify barriers: the current internet architecture and bandwidth, access to and interoperability of simulation and analysis tools, information sharing in a competitive environment, and business models.If successful, the results of this research will help to enable the realization of a more powerful architecture for web-based manufacturing and prescribe next steps towards it implementation. An important metric of success will be the degree and extent of endorsement of the proposed architecture by its potential Small/Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) and original Equipment manufacturer (OEM) users. Another key metric will be the guidance provided by the architecture for the design of future HUBzero and internet capabilities. It is also expected that the architecture will suggest new ways for customers to interact with manufacturing enterprises. If implemented, the architecture should contribute to the transformation of current supply chains into much more nimble, innovative, yet integrated systems of systems.