Enabling a Multi-Agent System for Resilient Production Flow in Modular Production Systems

Abstract

Volatile markets with strongly fluctuating customer demand and uncertainties in the global supply chain challenge manufacturing companies with increasing complexity. A flexible, reconfigurable production system like the concept of Modular Production by Kern is one way to meet these challenges and at the same time to produce more efficiently. Such plants can quickly adapt to new production demands, but also come with challenging requirements on the planning and control of production programs. To fulfil these requirements, new information structures are needed. Previous approaches, as traditionally prevalent in the automotive industry, are structured rigidly hierarchical leading to monolithic systems. These are designed for static production cycles and therefore offer only limited flexibility. To reach a higher flexibility, new information structures are needed which enable centralized as well as decentralized decision making. One approach to meet these requirements are Multi-Agent Systems (MAS). In this paper a design approach for deploying a semi-heterarchical system structure is presented that puts special emphasis on a resilient production planning and execution with the help of Asset Administration Shells (AAS). The potential of AAS for the self-description of Industrie 4.0 Components and agents in Holonic Manufacturing Systems as well as their usefulness as interoperable interfaces are described and discussed in this work. This is elaborated and discussed in a simulated production environment using an example from the automotive industry.