A Knowledge Based Approach For The Planning And Design Of Flexible Manufacturing Systems

A Knowledge-based Approach for the Planning and Design of Flexible Manufacturing Systems

The increasing global competition has led the manufacturing enterprises to adopt FMS to respond to producing a variety of products in low quantities, low costs, high quality and short lead times. The benefits associated with FMS can only be realised if the systems are planned and designed properly. In this research work, two KB computer models are developed for the planning and design of an FMS. An expert system shell AM is used for the development and implementation of the methodology. A Knowledge Based Flexible Manufacturing System Planning (KBFMSP) Model is developed to address the planning issues of an FMS such as demand information, part types information, machine information, MHS information and LAN information. The planning stage is primarily used for finding a potential demand for the system, characteristics and process plan of the part types to be manufactured, machines (Turning and Milling centres) selection, MHS (AGV-robot based and conveyor-robot based) and selecting a computer communication network architecture. Production rules are used in the planning methodology which, by using a forward chaining strategy, arrive at a decision. After successful execution of the rules, the control of the programme then moves to the design stage. At the design stage, a Knowledge Based Flexible Manufacturing System Design (KBFMSD) Model is developed to address the detailed design issues of the FMS such as required number of machines, a suitable MHS, machines and MHS layout and financial assessment. A hybrid (knowledge base plus analytical) methodology is incorporated in the KBFMSD Model to help calculate the key design factors and to assist in arriving at a completed FMS design. The viability of the FMS design is checked by using various financial assessment criteria such as Break Even Analysis, Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and the Pay Back Period methods. Finally, the planning and design models are tested, verified and validated by using industrial and published case studies information. The results indicate that the KB methodology developed for the integrated planning and design of FMS is a viable technique and produces realistic and consistent results.

Proceedings, the Second International Conference on Industrial & Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence & Expert Systems

Handbook on Scheduling

This handbook provides a comprehensive introduction to the theory and applications of scheduling in advanced planning and computer systems. It addresses a broad audience including practitioners and researchers interested in scheduling, as well as graduate and advanced undergraduate students in the fields of computer science and computer engineering, operations research, industrial and real-time engineering, management science, business administration and information systems, and applied mathematics. The book begins by providing an introduction to and basic concepts from discrete mathematics. Single and multiple processor systems are covered, with a focus on multiprocessor tasks and hard real-time systems. Flow shop and open shop scheduling, as well as scheduling in job shops, are explained in detail. Issues like limited processor availability, time-dependence, resource constraints and imprecise computations are dealt with in dedicated chapters. Special attention is given toonline scheduling, constraint programming and disjunctive scheduling. The book also features applications and cases involving flexible manufacturing systems, computer integrated production scheduling and logistics. In particular it presents case studies on optimization procedures for the production of acrylic glass and of helicopter parts in a flexible manufacturing system, an efficient decision support system for airport gate scheduling, concrete delivery planning, and berth and quay crane allocation at seaports.