Framework for the control of automated material-handling systems using the holonic manufacturing approach

In today's global economy, manufacturing companies must be able to change both the product variety and production quantity without incurring major disturbances in the production process. A manufacturing system capable of performing these changes efficiently needs a control system flexible enough to go from one state to another without significant delays in production. To compensate for the deficiencies of both hierarchical and heterarchical control systems, a control architecture based on the holonic concept is proposed. After presenting the general holonic control architecture, the paper focuses on the integration of the holonic-based control concept in the design of an automated material-handling control system. When performing transport activities in a manufacturing system, due to its architecture, the holonic system can operate both as a hierarchical system, following a predefined schedule during normal operation conditions, and as a heterarchical system in the presence of disturbances.