Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Christian-Andreas Schumann College of Technology and Business Zwickau, Postfach 35 D-08001 Zwickau ,Germany
Dipl.-Ing. Frank Räbiger, Dipl.-Ing. Brigitte Seifert Technical University Chemnitz-Zwickau, D-09107 Chemnitz, Germany
Factory Information Systems represent the integration of several business and production processes in an enterprise on the basis of computer integrated information flows in the framework of a network system with flat hierarchies. The complex structure and the dynamic behaviour of such a system require modern technologies in communication and training of students, graduates and industrial personnel like engineers, managers and operating personnel. That is why multimedia solutions are used.
The development of such a multimedia application includes the creation of the communication, hardware and software basis as well as the generation of special multimedia solutions of several modules of Factory Information Systems. The development steps, the first results of multimedia development, their use and further activities in the framework of European projects are also summarized in this paper.
Prof.Dr.-Ing.habil. Christian-Andreas Schumann, born in Chemnitz in 1957, studied Industrial Engineering in the Technical University of Chemnitz. After finishing his first doctor's degree and a half year study course abroad he has been employed in the research department for computer aided plant planning systems and computer integration in production systems of the tool machine industry for four years. In this time he was graduated with the second doctor's degree in production engineering in the Technical University of Chemnitz.
In 1988 Dr. Schumann got a call as associated professor for plant planning and information processes in the Technical University of Chemnitz-Zwickau.
In 1994 he became professor for business and engineering information systems at the Technical College in Zwickau.
From 1992 to 1994 Prof. Schumann has been responsible as project manager for the "Factory Information System / Chemnitz" as a large installation for modelling a real plant system.