Introduction

The focus of the Interoperable Manufacturing Knowledge Systems (IMKS) proposal is related to cross skill engineering functions and the methods of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) configuration support that are needed to enable interoperable manufacturing knowledge sharing. The key issue which this project addresses is how to extend information sharing to a richer knowledge sharing base which can support the capture, sharing, and verification of multiple sources of manufacturing knowledge in a change environment (see figure below). We believe that this is a fundamental prerequisite for future systems which aim to support collaboration seamlessly across internal company groups, across company boundaries and across multiple systems.