Ralf Neubert

A multiagent-based distributed control platform for industrial flexible production systems

The tendency of recent production technologies towards both batches of small/medium size and part families of increasing variety often comes into conflict with the demand for high productivity, i.e. production-time minimization and simultaneous improvement of machine utilization. Flexible production systems possess the ability to attain efficiency and versatility by producing a wide range of different product families with minimal effort in changing the involved manufacturing environment. Nevertheless, the production systems flexibility and degree of reliability depend fundamentally on the flexibility and reliability of the embedded control system. This paper reports on the design and realization of a multi-agent-based distributed control system for flexible production systems, which covers both conventional control equipment as well as embedded control agents. The agent components are implemented as Windows NT services and logic control programs interfaced via DCOM and an Ethernet. The results of the application in an industrial flexible production system are used to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Flexible manufacturing control with PLC, CNC and software agents

This paper reports on the design and realization of a flexible and robust control system, based on an agent architecture. Regarding the increasing availability, performance and acceptance of distributed object-oriented systems as well as the growing number of agent-oriented software it is natural to adapt and use the capabilities of both object-oriented and agent-oriented software as a platform for distributed industrial applications. The agent-oriented software components are implemented as intelligent add-ons to conventional PLC and CNC control equipment as well as Industrial PCs operating under Windows NT and interfacing via DCOM and Ethernet. It is used for the control of a flexible manufacturing system cylinder head production at DaimlerChrysler, Germany. Similar known systems are in research status only. The results of a 2 (and partly 3) shift production since more than one year are outstanding: k-factor of 0.89 by tolerating failed machines, production of specific, none pre-planned workpieces.

An Agent-Based Approach Towards the Design of Industrial Holonic Control Systems

After the description of the underlying principles on which the “multiagentbased production control” technology and the “holonic manufacturing control” concept within the intelligent manufacturing system paradigm are based, this work proposes an approach that supports the design of agent-based manufacturing control systems for different industrial holonic manufacturing scenarios. The results of the application to a pilot cell at industrial level are very promissory, showing that the approach seems to be very suited in accommodating heterogeneous hardware and software components in both their manufacturing control and information system, and in integrating existing/legacy systems.