Virtual process design techniques for intelligent manufacturing

The design techniques discussed here are concerned with computer integrated, cellular manufacturing systems. Such systems consist of automated robotic cells. Planning and control within a cell is carried out in off- and on-line modes by a hierarchical controller. A workstation and its control modules are called computer assisted workcell (CAW). An intelligent CAW should determine control laws so that manufacturing tasks can be carried out optimally. Techniques are presented to synthesize high autonomous computer assisted workcells. At the core of the CAW´s architecture are three layers: execution, coordination, and organization. The architecture and its layers are discussed in detail