A real-time, rule-based FMS operation control strategy in CIM environment–Part II

Abstract

Abstract After having summarised the FMS design rules and some of the most important FMS scheduling principles and algorithms in the first part of the paper (see IJCIM Vol. 1, No. 1, January 1988), in Part II all important details are given of the experimental implementation of an FMS dynamic loading sequencing and scheduling program. When developing this system the core concept was to shorten its run time to seconds, thus allowing real-time decision making just before a part is loaded onto the machine (or robot if used as a flexible assembly system scheduler).