Automated Petri-net modelling based on production management data

Abstract

Timed Petri nets can be used for the modelling and analysis of a wide range of concurrent discrete-event systems, e.g. production systems. The present paper describes how to do so while starting from the information about the structure of a production facility and about the products usually given in production-data management systems. We describe a method for using these data to algorithmically build a Petri-net model. The timed Petri-net simulator, which was built in Matlab®, is also described. This simulator makes it possible to introduce heuristics, and in this way production operations can be scheduled. To demonstrate the applicability of our approach, we applied it to a scheduling problem in a multi-product batch plant.

Keywords:

• Modelling
• Production systems
• Scheduling
• Simulation
• Timed Petri nets

AMS Subject Classifications:

• 90B30
• 68Q85
• 90B90
• 68U20