Flexible manufacturing control with PLC, CNC and software agents

Author

Schoop, Ronald ; Neubert, Ralf ; Suessmann, Boris

Author_Institution

Schneider Electr. Dev. Central, Seligenstadt, Germany

fYear

2001

fDate

2001

Firstpage

365

Lastpage

371

Abstract

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

Keywords

automobile industry; computerised numerical control; distributed object management; flexible manufacturing systems; industrial control; intelligent control; robust control; software agents; CNC; DCOM; DaimlerChrysler; Ethernet; Industrial PCs; PLC; Windows NT; agent architecture; agent-oriented software; agent-oriented software components; cylinder head production; distributed object-oriented systems; flexible manufacturing control; flexible manufacturing system; intelligent add-ons; robust control system; software agents; Computer industry; Computer numerical control; Electrical equipment industry; Flexible manufacturing systems; Manufacturing industries; Production; Programmable control; Robust control; Software agents; Software performance;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Autonomous Decentralized Systems, 2001. Proceedings. 5th International Symposium on

Conference_Location

Dallas, TX

Print_ISBN

0-7695-1065-5

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/ISADS.2001.917441

Filename

917441