Controlling Automated Manufacturing Systems

This introductory text, which requires no prerequisites examines the components used in automated systems. It provides a balanced coverage of sensors, actuators, controllers and control theory and discusses some special-purpose automation components, automation systems and automation concepts. The text is unique in its clear, complete coverage of servosystems.

Master production scheduling II 60 On-line scheduling 65 Specific data requirements 69 Mailbox approaches 70 Conclusion 72 Chapter 7: Cell Level Control 75 Introduction 75 CCS classification 77 What is a cell? 78 CCS operational modes 80 Conclusion 86 Chapter 8: Equipment Level Control 89 Introduction 89 What is meant by equipment? 90 Equipment level control structure 92 Conclusion 94 Chapter 9: Conclusion and Future Trends 95 Overall production planning and control functions 98 Future trends 100 Conclusion 102 Appendix I: Master Production Scheduling II 103 References 107 Index 109 Preface This book is intended as an introduction to production planning and control of automated manufacturing systems. As such, it links together two diverse fields of interest: in the area of production planning and control there is a large body of work completed in analytical models, computer structures and overall systems; equally, for the hardware and detailed control aspects of the equipment used (for example, NC machines, robots, etc), comprehensive studies have also been completed. To cover each area fully would result in a work of several volumes. Instead, this book stresses the important elements of both areas that are vital to effective production planning and control of the whole automated manufacturing system.

This monograph presents the state-of-the-art developments in the design of behaviorally and structurally optimal livenessen-forcing Petri net supervisors with computationally tractable approaches. It details optimal supervisory control problems arising in automated production systems and outlines a methodology to achieve the optimality purposes of deadlock prevention via converting a variety of problems under consideration into integer linear programming models. The book includes a reference bibliography at the end of each chapter and a complete index.

Control and Dynamic Systems: Advances in Theory and Applications, Volume 47: Manufacturing and Automation Systems: Techniques and Technologies, Part 3 of 5 deals with techniques and technologies in manufacturing and automation systems. This book discusses techniques in modeling and control policies for production networks; effective planning and control of day-to-day operations; evaluation of automated manufacturing systems; the use of Petri Nets in modeling, control and performance analysis of automated manufacturing systems; and concurrent engineering and evaluation of concurrency in engineering design. The final chapter discusses the algorithm for solving allocation problems. This book will provide a uniquely significant reference source for practitioners in the field who want a comprehensive source of techniques with significant applied implications.

Control and Dynamic Systems: Advances in Theory and Applications, Volume 46: Manufacturing and Automation Systems: Techniques and Technologies, Part 2 of 5 covers the significant advances and issues on the utilization of techniques and technologies in the manufacturing industries. This volume is divided into nine chapters and starts with the essential issue of software in manufacturing systems, particularly the aspects of the control software that are active in the time-critical or real time portions of the machine's operation. The succeeding chapters deal with the interactions between material-handling systems and other components of manufacturing systems; the principles of flexible manufacturing systems; the various views on the contributions of mechatronics; and the techniques for machine layout optimization in manufacturing and automation systems. These topics are followed by discussions of the application of a real-time control system to address issues of safety, productivity advances, and production cost reductions. Other chapters consider the influence of human supervisory control of predominantly automated manufacturing processes and the techniques for the manufacturing systems integration. The final chapter examines the major importance of the assembly line balancing to manufacturing systems. This book is of great value to process and mechanical engineers, as well as process control workers and researchers.

With the approach of the 21st century, and the current trends in manufacturing, the role of computer-controlled flexible manufacturing an integral part in the success of manufacturing enterprises. will take Manufacturing environments are changing to small batch (with batch sizes diminishing to a quantity of one), larger product variety, produc tion on demand with low lead times, with the ability to be 'agile.' This is in stark contrast to conventional manufacturing which has relied on economies of scale, and where change is viewed as a disruption and is therefore detrimental to production. Computer integrated manufac turing (CIM) and flexible manufacturing practices are a key component in the transition from conventional manufacturing to the 'new' manu facturing environment. While the use of computers in manufacturing, from controlling indi vidual machines (NC, Robots, AGVs etc.) to controlling flexible manu facturing systems (FMS) has advanced the flexibility of manufacturing environments, it is still far from reaching its full potential in the environment of the future. Great strides have been made in individual technologies and control of FMS has been the subject of considerable research, but computerized shop floor control is not nearly as flexible or integrated as hyped in industrial and academic literature. In fact, the integrated systems have lagged far behind what could be achieved with existing technology.