Real-time control systems for one-of-a-kind production based on state modelling on the basis of the presented generic reference architecture. An automatic version of a production line from a shipyard is implemented in the simulation system. The simulated automatic production line is briefly described. Some results from the simulations are presented to show the usefulness of the generic reference architecture

This article presents a generic reference architecture for an automatic real-time production control system for one-ofa-kind production. The reference architecture is divided into an off-line and real-time part, with emphasis on the real-time part. The off-line part contains scheduling and job decomposition modules. The following modules are active in the real-time part: rescheduling, dispatching, shop floor, observer, simulator and monitoring. To delimit the area of interest, a definition of one-of-a-kind production systems, based on Wortman \[1991, Proceedings of the Annual ESPRIT Conference , Brussels, November 1991, pp. 842- 856] is introduced together with the traditional classification of the hierarchical levels in a manufacturing company: strategic, tactical and operational levels. A short description of the state-of-the-art within production control is presented with emphasis on the production control architecture \[Bauer et al ., 1991, Shop Floor Control Systems. From Design to Implementation (Chapman & Hall)]. A simulation system, SIMROP (SIMulation system for Realtime control of One-of-a-kind Production) has been developed

Keywords:

• One-of-a-kind
• Real-time Production Control Systems
• Automation
• Generic Architecture
• Simulation