An implementation methodology for the supervisory control of flexible manufacturing workcells

Abstract

The anticipated use of autonomous flexible manufacturing workcells in the near future has encouraged recent research efforts on the development of automatic supervisory-control methodologies. However, despite intensive research on the theoretical aspects of the control of flexible manufacturing workcells, modeled as discrete event systems (DESs), relatively little research has been reported on procedures for the implementation of DES-based supervisory controllers. In this paper, a generalized implementation methodology, which utilizes recent theoretical advances in conjunction with programmable logic controller (PLC) technology, is presented. The two primary advantages of the proposed methodology are: (1) the utilization of control strategies, synthesized within a formal theoretical framework, that can be efficiently generated on-line and (2) the use of PLCs, which are currently the most suitable and widely employed industrial process control technology.