Modelling and Evaluation of Manufacturing Systems Using Dedicated Petri Nets

The design of a manufacturing system requires modelling and performance evaluation techniques. To support this process, a modelling method based on Petri nets is proposed in this paper. A new class of coloured Petri nets is introduced, which is well suited to the modelling of manufacturing systems. Using this net class, the structure and the work plans of a manufacturing system can both be modelled separately. A library of model templates helps to create large models. The different model parts are merged automatically to create a complete model of the manufacturing system. Measures of interest can be obtained from the model by numerical analysis or simulation, showing its performance and dependability. The usefulness of the approach is shown by applying the proposed techniques to a real-life manufacturing system.     

基于扩展随机Petri网的可重组制造系统建模与分析方法

可重组制造系统(Reconfigurable manufacturing system,RMS)可根据市场变化进行组态调整和组元升级,系统的建模与分析方法必须能适应上述特点。提出基于扩展随机Petri网(Extended stochastic Petri nets,ESPN)的模块化建模方法,将RMS不同的加工资源对应于相应的ESPN基本模块,并通过过渡变迁合成ESPN模型,该模型能适应任意分布的制造系统,可更加精确地反映生产过程。在此基础上采用基于行为表达式的分析方法,得到系统性能指标,该分析方法可不必画出可达图而直接得到系统性能关系函数,使分析过程更加直观、简洁。可重组电动机生产线的实例证明了该建模与分析方法的有效性。     

A functional-to-behavioural transformation framework for specification and design of manufacturing systems

To maximize the productivity, quality and safety of operators, design and dependability analysis tools must be integrated as soon as possible in the lifecycle of automated manufacturing systems (AMS). As a concurrent approach, the structured analysis and design technique (SADT) can be efficiently used for such integration. SADT is a graphic notation for system specification and requirement analysis that is well adapted to describe the functions and their interconnection in a manufacturing systems. In spite of its advantages, SADT is limited by the lack of a formal foundation, which makes it necessary to extend it by a mathematical behavioural model such as the Petri net. This article first proposes an approach for the automatic generation of the Petri net model corresponding to SADT specifications, thus allowing a direct simulation of the SADT model to validate its behaviour. The complexity and non user-friendly interface of such a Petri net have led us to propose a temporal SADT whose primitives represent abstract types for the underlying Petri net model. This temporal SADT has the merits of both the SADT and Petri nets, since it adds to the user friendliness of SADT, the foundation of Petri nets.     

Deadlock control of concurrent manufacturing processes sharing finite resources

A novel deadlock control policy is developed for modeling the concurrent execution of manufacturing processes with limited shared resources through a class of nets, ES³PR. A relevant property of the system behavior is that it is deadlock-free. Recent work has shown that deadlock situations in a plant system can be easily characterized by the structural analysis of the system, particularly, in terms of unmarked or insufficiently marked siphons in its Petri net model. The strict minimal siphons in a plant ES³PR net model are divided into elementary and dependent ones. The proposed deadlock prevention policy is to make all siphons satisfy maximal cs-property when the elementary siphons in the plant Petri net model are properly supervised via explicitly adding monitors for them with appropriate initial markings. Compared with the existing approaches in the literature, the advantage of the policy is that a much smaller number of supervisory places (monitors) are added and unnecessary iterative processes are avoided. Finally, its application is illustrated by a flexible manufacturing example.     

e-制造系统的制造资源动态配置过程研究

传统制造资源动态配置没有涉及制造系统、制造单元和设备之间制造过程信息的重组模型,据此,在拓展传统制造资源动态配置模型的基础上,结合模糊聚类理论,研究了e制造环境下制造任务在一定批量和多工艺方案情形下的单元化配置模型,以及基于此配置结果的制造系统、动态制造单元、设备间的信息重组模型与制造过程信息跟踪方法,为“柔性制造”、“数宁化精确生产”奠定了基础,并对开发的原型系统进行验证。     

Simultaneous scheduling of machines and vehicles in an FMS environment with alternative routing

Scheduling of flexible manufacturing systems is a well-known NP-hard problem which is very complex, due to additional considerations like material handling, alternative routing, and alternative machines. Improvement in the performance of a flexible manufacturing system can be expected by efficient utilization of its resources, by proper integration and synchronization of their scheduling. Differential evolution is a powerful tool which proved itself as a better alternative for solving optimization problems like scheduling. In this paper, the authors addressed simultaneous scheduling of both machines and material handling system with alternative machines for the makespan minimization objective. The authors proposed a machine selection heuristic and a vehicle assignment heuristic which are incorporated in the differential evolution approach to assign the tasks, to appropriate machine and vehicle, and to minimize cycle time.     

Stochastic coloured Petri nets for modelling and evaluation,and heuristic rule base for scheduling of FMS

This paper addresses scheduling of flexible manufacturing systems considering stochastic behaviour such as failure and repair of machines, and variation in processing times. Stochastic coloured Petri nets have been used for obtaining a compact model of the system. A heuristic rule base has been proposed for resolving conflicts in the allocation of jobs to machines. The superiority of the proposed approach has been exemplified with a case study.     

Matrix Controller Design and Deadlock Analysis of Automated Manufacturing Systems. Part 1. Designing the Matrix-Based Controller

A system theory approach is used to design rule-based discrete-event controllers for the sequencing of jobs in manufacturing systems. The controller is described in terms of matrix equations that are easy to implement on a personal computer. Industrial engineering (IE) techniques and the concepts of Petri nets (PN) are included. A standard bill of materials (BOM) is used in the first design step to make a "task sequencing matrix". Then a resource requirement matrix is constructed to add non-shared resources and shared resources (e.g. pallets, transport robots, and material handling machines). Non-shared resources are controlled using inner decision loops. However, shared resources require outer decision loops for dispatching and routeing that resolve conflicts, taking into account the specified performance measures to be optimised (e.g. percentage of idle time, throughput, etc.). Failures are simply represented as disturbance inputs, allowing design for failure recovery. The rule-based controller design algorithm is a step-by-step procedure with repeatability and guaranteed conflict/deadlock resolution. It shows that the closed-loop system, once designed, is equivalent to a Petri net (PN); this gives, as a by-product, an algorithm for PN design. Furthermore, the matrix formulation allows a rigorous analysis of deadlocks in terms of circular wait and blocking, and the resources available.     

基于对象Petri网的柔性制造仿真系统的建模与实现

利用Petri网对具有并发、同步、竞争、资源争用等特点的一类离散事件动态系统具有很好的描述和分析能力的优点,对其进行改进,得到对象Petri网。通过举例说明了对象Petri网的特点及建模过程,基本完成了FMS系统的架构,为下一步的工作提供了良好的基础。     

基于对象Petri网的柔性制造仿真系统的建模与实现

利用Petri网对具有并发、同步、竞争、资源争用等特点的一类离散事件动态系统具有很好的描述和分析能力的优点,对其进行改进,得到对象Petri网。通过举例说明了对象Petri网的特点及建模过程,基本完成了FMS系统的架构,为下一步的工作提供了良好的基础。     

A loop layout design problem for flexible manufacturing systems

The interconnection pattern of the processing modules of a computerized manufacturing system affects its performance. In this article, we discuss a set of requirements that the interconnection network should satisfy. Subsequently, we concentrate on a simple and popular architecture, the loop network. The problem we address is to design the layout of the system so that the number of machines that the part types cross in their manufacturing process is minimized. We formulate the problem mathematically and solve it by a heuristic that obtains consistently better results than an earlier popular method.     

Two types of extended RSNBs and their application in modeling flexible manufacturing systems

In the former paper (Liu et al. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 41:66–74, 2009), a novel policy was proposed to prevent deadlocks in a class of flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs). This policy is based on the notion that each shared buffer is partitioned for storing different types of parts. Furthermore, A subclass of Petri nets, resource-shared net with buffers (RSNB), was defined to characterize this policy and model the controlled system. Two extensions of RSNB are defined in this paper. The first extension, which is called extended resource-shared net with buffers (ERSNB), permits the resources to be shared among different stages in one manufacturing process. The second extension, which is called resource-shared assembly net with buffers (RSANB), takes the assembly and choice operations into account. Both ERSNB and RSANB have a well property that each minimal siphon is exactly a minimal trap. It has been proven that an ERSNB or RSANB is live if and only if each minimal siphon is marked under the initial marking. Two well-known examples of FMSs are used to illustrate the proposed concepts and policy.     

A P-invariant-based algorithm for simple assembly line balancing problem of type-1

A simple assembly line balancing problem of type-1 (SALBP-1) concerns minimizing the number of workstations on an assembly line for a given cycle time. In this problem only a single product with deterministic task times is considered. Since the SALBP-1 is known as an NP-hard, considerable research effort has been spent to develop heuristic approaches. In this study we develop a different heuristic approach based on the P-invariants of Petri nets. The algorithm is coded in MATLAB, and its efficiency is tested on Talbot’s and Hoffmann’s benchmark datasets according to some performance measures and classifications. A computational study validates its effectiveness on Tonge’s 70-task problem by comparison with solutions of traditional heuristics and a genetic algorithm reported to perform well.     

An Optimal Deadlock Prevention Policy for Flexible Manufacturing Systems Using Petri Net Models with Resources and the Theory of Regions

In this paper, an optimal deadlock prevention policy for flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs) is proposed. In an FMS, dead-locks can arise because of a limited number of shared resources, i.e. machines, robots, buffers, fixtures etc. Deadlock is a highly undesirable situation, where each of a set of two or more jobs keeps waiting indefinitely for the other jobs in the set to release resources. The proposed optimal deadlock prevention policy is based on the use of reachability graph analysis of a Petri net model (PNM) of a given FMS and the synthesis of a set of new net elements, namely places with initial marking and related arcs, to be added to the PNM, using the theory of regions, which is a formal synthesis technique toderive Petri nets from automaton-based models. The policy proposed is optimal in the sense that it allows the maximal use of resources in the system according to the production requirements. Two examples are provided for illustration. RID=" ID=" <E5>Correspondence and offprint requests to</E5>: M. Uzam, Ni&gbreve;de &Uuml;niversitesi, M&uuml;hendislik-Mimarlik Fak&uuml;ltesi, Elektrik-Elektronik M&uuml;hendisli&gbreve;i B&ouml;l&uuml;m&uuml;, Kamp&uuml;s, 51100, Ni&gbreve;de, Turkey. E-mail: murat_uzam&commat;hotmail.com     

Reconfigurability consideration design of components and manufacturing systems

A manufacturing system should be able to produce a variety of components at a low cost and in a short period of time. In this paper, manufacturing system reconfigurability in agile manufacturing is discussed. The reconfiguration of a manufacturing system is analysed based on the relationship of component routes, material handling costs, reconfiguration cost, and so on. Components with similar routes are selected in an early design stage in order to minimise the number of machines to be relocated. The variety of resources required is reduced by a proper selection of components and manufacturing processes for system reconfiguration. An algorithm for selection of components and manufacturing resources is developed.     

The use of the Petri net reduction approach for an optimal deadlock prevention policy for flexible manufacturing systems

In a flexible manufacturing system (FMS) with multiple products, deadlocks can arise due to limited shared resources, such as machines, robots, buffers, fixtures etc. The development of efficient deadlock prevention policies, which can optimise the use of system resources, while preventing deadlocks from occurring, has long been an important issue to be addressed. In [1], an optimal deadlock prevention policy was proposed, based on the use of reachability graph (RG) analysis of the Petri net model (PNM) of a given FMS and the synthesis of a set of new net elements, namely places with initial marking and related arcs, to be added to the PNM, using the theory of regions. The policy proposed in [1] is optimal in the sense that it allows the maximal use of resources in the system according to the production requirements. For very big PNMs, the reachability graph of the PNMs becomes very large and the necessary computations to obtain an optimal deadlock prevention policy become more difficult. In this paper, we propose the use of the Petri net reduction approach to simplify very big PNMs so as to make necessary calculations easily in order to obtain an optimal deadlock prevention policy for FMSs. An example is provided for illustration.     

A knowledge-based design advisory system for collaborative design for micromanufacturing

The manufacture of microproducts differs from that of conventional products in many ways, not only in the sizes, but also in issues concerning the effects of material properties, tools, and manufacturing equipment. There was a need for a new design methodology and associated design tools to aid designers in assessing the design of their microproducts by considering new micromanufacturing capabilities and constraints. A knowledge-based design advisory system (DAS) was, therefore, developed in MASMICRO in which the knowledge-based system with dedicated assessment modules and knowledge representatives based on the ontology was created to implement the distributed design and manufacturing assessment for micromanufacturing. The modules address the assessment on geometrical features relating to manufacturability, manufacturing processes, selection of materials, tools, and machines, as well as manufacturing cost. The Microsoft C# programming language, ASP.NET web technology, Prolog, and Microsoft Access database were used to develop the DAS. The test on the DAS prototype system was found to provide an increase of design efficiency due to more efficient use of design and manufacturing knowledge and afforded a web-based collaborative design environment.     

一种新的基于Petri网的分层工作流过程模型

过程模型的描述能力和分析能力难以满足企业的要求,为此,提出了一种新的基于Petri网的分层工作流过程模型。在深入研究各种工作流模型的基础上,通过对基本网进行一定的扩展,给出工作流过程的分层模型。该模型由工作流描述模型和工作流分析模型组成。工作流描述模型直接支持所有工作流模式,特别是多实例、取消、高级同步等高级Petri网无法直接描述的模式。工作流描述模型在Petri网的基础上增加了控制变量,并将变迁划分为变迁入口和变迁体两部分。控制变量与变迁之间构成读写关系。变迁入口函数通过判断控制变量,消解工作流描述模型中的冲突;变迁体函数通过可扩展逻辑描述语句,实现对控制变量的读写操作。工作流分析模型作为工作流描述模型的分析模型,剥离了工作流描述模型个案的语义信息,可以直接利用已有的Petri网分析技术来分析模型。最后,通过几个例子说明了如何使用本文提出的模型对各种复杂流程进行建模和分析。     

Characteristics analysis of cellular bucket brigades with different constraints

Reconfigurable machines are used in various manufacturing processes increasingly, so that the system could be adapted to successive market changes, changes in customer requirements, and competition among manufacturers. This makes necessary designing reconfigurable machines that can get into the market as soon as possible. Injection molding machines are an example of an equipment that requires reconfigurability, and the mold is one of the machine modules requiring further attention. This article provides a design methodology that helps designers to decide which mold configuration is appropriate to produce a molded part family. Proposed methodology brings together classical methodologies and design modern tools, and establishes a sequence of activities during the product architecture. This adjustment provides a useful tool in the conceptual definition of the mold architecture and facilitates the preliminary design of molds. Decisions are based on nature and predominant features of conventional products which are manufactured by injection molding. A characterization of common products obtained by molding is proposed as a support database for developing the methodology. In addition, in this work, a case study is developed in order to illustrate how the methodology can be performed. Benefits and advantages of the model are summarized as well.