From a reactive, heterarchical to a holonic system: an application for optimizing flow in an automotive plant

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to study the notion of overall optimization of vehicle flow in an automotive plant. The present system architecture for managing flows may be described as heterarchical reactive. In terms of optimization, this has been translated as a succession of independent local schedulers. With the aim of reducing costs whilst maintaining quality, the goal is to increase the scheduling power of each scheduler with a view to global optimization. The proposal presented here is to model this strategy not by using a reactive heterarchical architecture but by a holonic-type architecture. A mathematical model has been used to formalize each of these two types of architecture. The advantages of this new architecture in terms of global performance and robustness of scheduling have been highlighted.

Keywords:

• Heterarchical system
• holonic system
• simulation
• automobile
• optimization
• robustness

Acknowledgments

Patrick Charpentier is an associate professor on Production Engineering in the Automatic Research Centre on Nancy (CRAN), at the Nancy I University, France. He obtained his PhD degree in Automation Engineering from the University Henri Poincaré - Nancy I in 1991. His research interests include: modelling and analysis of manufacturing systems, especially, just-in-time system, logistics system, and manufacturing systems simulation and optimization. He is involved in different French national research groups on these research areas.

Emmanuel Muhl is Doctor Engineer in the Logistics Research Department of the car manufacturer PSA Peugeot Citroën. He received his PhD from the University of Nancy I in 2002. He currently works on Supply Chain Management. He is also manage of PhD students working on modelling of supplies management policy to realize simulation tool and on quality in production (Data warehouse, Datamining, …).