Title: Design and implementation of a function block-based holonic control architecture for a new generation flexible manufacturing system

Authors: Esteban Querol; Fernando Romero Subirón; Antonio Manuel Estruch; Julio Serrano Mira; Julio Ariel Romero Pérez

Addresses: Department of Industrial Systems Engineering and Design, Universitat Jaume I, Castellon, Spain ' Department of Industrial Systems Engineering and Design, Universitat Jaume I, Castellon, Spain ' Department of Industrial Systems Engineering and Design, Universitat Jaume I, Castellon, Spain ' Department of Industrial Systems Engineering and Design, Universitat Jaume I, Castellon, Spain ' Department of Industrial Systems Engineering and Design, Universitat Jaume I, Castellon, Spain

Abstract: In this research work a control architecture which gives response to the requirements of new generation of flexible manufacturing systems in terms of flexibility, reconfigurability, robustness and autonomy is designed and implemented. To do so the main principles of the holonic manufacturing paradigm are applied using the IEC61499 function block (FB) technology. Unlike other similar research proposals, in this work FBs are not relegated to low-level control but are used to model manufacturing execution and control high-level control tasks. This is done with the objective of evaluating the viability of using FBs to develop holonic architectures in comparison to more established technologies like multi-agent systems. Moreover, the proposed control architecture also focuses on better integrating and exploiting the products' information to enhance its flexibility and adaptability. For this STEP-NC (ISO14649) is used to model richer process plans which include manufacturing alternatives and could be easily integrated in the control itself.

Keywords: intelligent manufacturing system; manufacturing control; holonic architecture; function blocks; STEP-NC process plans.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMMS.2017.084409

International Journal of Mechatronics and Manufacturing Systems, 2017 Vol.10 No.1, pp.84 - 98

Received: 29 Apr 2016
Accepted: 24 Jan 2017
Published online: 06 Jun 2017 *

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