Modelling adaptive multi-agent manufacturing control with discrete event system formalism

This paper introduces an approach for modelling and designing multi-agent control architectures for agile manufacturing using a generic formalism based on a system-theoretic discrete event approach. To describe the details of the modelling strategy, we apply the proposed approach to a multi-agent network for job flow control in a manufacturing plant. Two interacting types of autonomous controllers, Part Agents and Machine Agents, are in charge of controlling the part flow and the machine processing sequences. Both type of agents are first modelled as atomic discrete event systems and subsequently integrated in the model of the entire network of autonomous controllers. To improve the performance of the network of agents, we introduce a mechanism based on evolutionary algorithms adapting the agents' decision laws that are encapsulated in agents' states. Through network simulation, the algorithm continuously searches for effective decision laws, consequently adapting agent's behaviour to the current operational conditions of the manufacturing floor. Simulation results show the potentialities of the approach.