VAL-II, a language for hierarchical control of a robot-based automated factory

摘要

SUMMARY The goal of manufacturing system development today is the integration of basic production elements to suit a variety of industrial and shop floor requirements. This may seem an awesome goal, but the authors suggest that careful assessment of requirement at each level and an appreciation of the true level of complexity needed at each level for control purposes, systematic integration will be possible as products become commercially available. Six levels of integration can be defined for robot-based applications: Level 1 - the single robot application level Level 2 - the system with robots working in teams Level 3 - the combination of different robot systems Level 4 - the combination of feeding work automatically to islands of automation from fully automated warehouses. Level 5 - the integration of planning and control functions Level 6 - the integration of CAD based design functions. The approach to integration and the level to which it extends will to a large extent be determined by a company's objective, present computer capacity, general production capability and availability of appropriate flexible automation products and systems for use in a given industrial environment. This paper examines the global needs of hierarchical integration, the level of control needed and the implication of VAL-II to this end.