Multi-Agent-Based Production Planning and Control

At the crossroads of artificial intelligence, manufacturing engineering, operational research and industrial engineering and management, multi-agent based production planning and control is an intelligent and industrially crucial technology with increasing importance. This book provides a complete overview of multi-agent based methods for today’s competitive manufacturing environment, including the Job Shop Manufacturing and Re-entrant Manufacturing processes. In addition to the basic control and scheduling systems, the author also highlights advance research in numerical optimization methods and wireless sensor networks and their impact on intelligent production planning and control system operation.

• Enables students, researchers and engineers to understand the fundamentals and theories of multi-agent based production planning and control
• Written by an author with more than 20 years’ experience in studying and formulating a complete theoretical system in production planning technologies
• Fully illustrated throughout, the methods for production planning, scheduling and controlling are presented using experiments, numerical simulations and theoretical analysis

Comprehensive and concise, Multi-Agent Based Production Planning and Control is aimed at the practicing engineer and graduate student in industrial engineering, operational research, and mechanical engineering. It is also a handy guide for advanced students in artificial intelligence and computer engineering.

Preface xiii

About this book xv

1 Agent Technology in Modern Manufacturing 1

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Agent and Multi]Agent System 1

1.3 Agent Technologies in Manufacturing Systems 7

1.4 Book Organization 11

References 14

2 The Technical Foundation of a Multi–Agent System 21

2.1 Introduction 21

2.2 The Structure of an Agent 21

2.3 The Structure of a Multi–Agent System 29

2.4 Modeling Methods of a Multi–gent System 34

2.5 The Communication and Interaction Model of a Multi–Agent System 37

2.6 The Communication Protocol for a Multi–Agent System 39

2.7 The Interaction Protocol for a Multi–Agent System 43

2.8 Conclusion 50

References 50

3 Multi–Agent–Based Production Planning and Control 55

3.1 Introduction 55

3.2 Manufacturing Systems 56

3.3 Production Planning and Control 61

3.4 Multi–Agent–Based Push–Pull Production Planning and Control System (MAP4CS) 71

3.4.1 Mapping Methods 72

3.5 Conclusion 90

References 91

4 Multi–Agent–Based Production Planning for Distributed Manufacturing Systems 95

4.1 Introduction 95

4.2 Production Planning for Distributed Manufacturing Systems 96

4.3 Multi–Agent-Based Production Planning in Distributed Manufacturing Systems 106

4.4 Agents in Multi-Agent Production Planning Systems 118

4.5 Contract Net Protocol-Based Production Planning Optimization Method 123

4.6 Bid Auction Protocol-Based Production Planning Optimization Method 133

4.7 Conclusion 139

References 140

5 Multi-Agent-Based Production Scheduling for Job Shop Manufacturing Systems 143

5.1 Introduction 143

5.2 Production Scheduling in Job Shop Manufacturing Systems 144

5.3 Multi-Agent Double Feedback–Based Production Scheduling in Job Shop Manufacturing Systems 153

5.4 Agents in the Multi-Agent Double Feedback–Based Scheduling System 158

5.5 Positive Feedback–Based Production Scheduling in Job Shop Manufacturing Systems 162

5.6 Negative Feedback–Based Production Rescheduling in Job Shop Manufacturing Systems 177

5.7 Conclusion 188

References 190

6 Multi-Agent-Based Production Scheduling in Re-Entrant Manufacturing Systems 197

6.1 Introduction 197

6.2 Production Scheduling in Re-Entrant Manufacturing Systems 198

6.3 Multi-Agent-Based Hierarchical Adaptive Production Scheduling in Re-Entrant Manufacturing Systems 208

6.4 Agents in a Multi-Agent Hierarchical Adaptive Production Scheduling System 212

6.5 Hierarchical Production Scheduling in Re-Entrant Manufacturing Systems 218

6.6 Adaptive Rescheduling in Re-Entrant Manufacturing Systems 244

6.7 Conclusion 253

References 258

7 Multi-Agent-Based Production Control 263

7.1 Introduction 263

7.2 Multi-Agent Production Control System 264

7.3 Agents in Multi-Agent Production Control Systems 271

7.4 Technologies and Methods for Multi-Agent Production Control Systems 283

7.5 Conclusion 294

References 295

8 Multi-Agent-Based Material Data Acquisition 297

8.1 Introduction 297

8.2 RFID Technology 297

8.3 Agent-Based Material Data Acquisition System 306

8.4 Agents in Multi-Agent RFID-Based Material Data Acquisition Systems 312

8.5 Multi-Agent RFID-Based Material Data Acquisition Systems 326

8.6 Conclusion 329

References 332

9 Multi-Agent-Based Equipment Data Acquisition 333

9.1 Introduction 333

9.2 Basics of OPC Technology 334

9.3 Agent-Based Equipment Data Acquisition System 340

9.4 Agents in the Multi-Agent OPC-Based Equipment Data Acquisition System 347

9.5 Implementation of a Multi-Agent OPC-Based System 355

9.6 Conclusion 361

References 361

10 The Prototype of a Multi-Agent-Based Production Planning and Control System 363

10.1 Introduction 363

10.2 Architecture of a Prototype System 363

10.3 Agent Packages and Communication in a Prototype System 366

10.4 The Manufacturing System Simulation in a Prototype System 375

10.5 Software Implementation and Application of a Prototype System 383

10.6 Conclusion 399

References 399

Index 401

PROFESSOR JIE ZHANG, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. Professor Zhang achieved her PhD in 1997 from the School of Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China and in 2008-2009 she was Visiting Research Fellow at the Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, University of California, Berkeley, USA. She is the author of five books in Chinese and over 100 peer-reviewed journal and transaction full papers in English and Chinese. She holds regular lectures at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in computer integrated manufacturing systems, enterprise resource planning, E-operation management systems for future manufacturing, the foundations for manufacturing design, and manufacturing systems and information technologies. Since 2010 she has been Executive Director of the Production System Council, Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society of Manufacturing Engineering.

At the crossroads of artificial intelligence, manufacturing engineering, operational research and industrial engineering and management, multi-agent-based production planning and control is an intelligent and industrially crucial technology with increasing importance. This book provides a complete overview of multi-agent-based methods for today's competitive manufacturing environment, including the Job Shop Manufacturing and Re-entrant Manufacturing processes. In addition to the basic control and scheduling systems, the author also highlights advance research in numerical optimization methods and wireless sensor networks and their impact on intelligent production planning and control system operation.

• Enables students, researchers and engineers to understand the fundamentals and theories of multi-agent-based production planning and control
• Written by an author with more than 20 years' experience in studying and formulating a complete theoretical system in production planning technologies
• Fully illustrated throughout, the methods for production planning, scheduling and controlling are presented using experiments, numerical simulations and theoretical analysis

Comprehensive and concise, Multi-Agent-Based Production Planning and Control is aimed at the practicing engineer and graduate student in industrial engineering, operational research, and mechanical engineering. It is also a handy guide for advanced students in artificial intelligence and computer engineering.