This paper proposes a distributed multi-agent approach for dynamic part routing in automated manufacturing systems. In particular, each part in the system is associated to an intelligent software agent that must select its next destination autonomously (i.e. ignoring the actions of the other agents) and in real time (i.e. at each time it completes an operation on a workstation). Differently from other existing approaches, we overcome the typical myopia of negotiation algorithms based on dispatching rules by allowing the part agents to take decisions not only about the imminent operation, but also for the subsequent ones. The anticipated decisions are transmitted to workstation agents, which are also designated to detect and resolve conflicts by modifying part agents' decisions. To describe the single agents and their interaction schemes in a formal way, we take advantage of DEVS discrete-event modelling tools, which also allow us to develop a detailed simulation platform for our multi-agent system. The simulation experiments obtained on a detailed model of a manufacturing system derived from the literature confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

A coordination strategy for distributed multi-agent manufacturing systems / Naso, D.; Turchiano, B.. - In: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRODUCTION RESEARCH. - ISSN 0020-7543. - STAMPA. - 42:12(2004), pp. 2497-2520. [10.1080/0020754042000197694]

A coordination strategy for distributed multi-agent manufacturing systems

Naso, D.;Turchiano, B.
2004-01-01

Abstract

This paper proposes a distributed multi-agent approach for dynamic part routing in automated manufacturing systems. In particular, each part in the system is associated to an intelligent software agent that must select its next destination autonomously (i.e. ignoring the actions of the other agents) and in real time (i.e. at each time it completes an operation on a workstation). Differently from other existing approaches, we overcome the typical myopia of negotiation algorithms based on dispatching rules by allowing the part agents to take decisions not only about the imminent operation, but also for the subsequent ones. The anticipated decisions are transmitted to workstation agents, which are also designated to detect and resolve conflicts by modifying part agents' decisions. To describe the single agents and their interaction schemes in a formal way, we take advantage of DEVS discrete-event modelling tools, which also allow us to develop a detailed simulation platform for our multi-agent system. The simulation experiments obtained on a detailed model of a manufacturing system derived from the literature confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
2004
A coordination strategy for distributed multi-agent manufacturing systems / Naso, D.; Turchiano, B.. - In: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRODUCTION RESEARCH. - ISSN 0020-7543. - STAMPA. - 42:12(2004), pp. 2497-2520. [10.1080/0020754042000197694]
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11589/5397
Citazioni
  • Scopus 18
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 10
social impact