Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing Planning and Control

Abstract

This paper explores some of the typical problems in manufacturing systems planning and control, particularly those pertinent to the automatic operation, and describes how artificial intelligence methods can be applied. We demonstrate how predicate logic and theorem proving techniques using resolution can be used in a manufacturing environment. Assertions of fact and axioms representing the knowledge required are given in an underlying data base. Illustrative problems demonstrate how user problems, such as assignment of jobs to machines when conflicts occur, can be handled by a decision support system in the framework of resolution in a problem reduction approach.