Performance optimization in manufacturing systems by use of max-plus algebraic techniques

A class of manufacturing systems that can be modelled by use of timed event graphs is considered in this paper. The interest for considering such a subclass of timed Petri nets is due to the possibility of applying a set of mathematical results, mainly based on the use of max-plus algebra, for performance analysis. Basing on these results, some significant performance indexes can be computed as functions of a certain set of decision parameters. Then, the system throughput optimization problem can be stated as a linear fractional programming problem