Simulation for maintenance of an FMS: an integrated system of maintenance and decision-making

Flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs) are designed to produce a variety of different part types with high machine utilisation, so the maintenance technique is necessary and very important in an FMS. This paper discusses the maintenance problem in an FMS and its simulation, analyses the maintainability of a real FMS shop, and presents the architecture of an integrated system of maintenance and decision-making/scheduling for manufacturing shop control. The modelling and simulation of the maintenance activities in the shop are shown. The simulation program is written in SLAM II and the special subroutines are realised in Fortran. The interest is directed towards the use of the method of simulation for maintenance and decision-making in FMSs.