Flexible manufacturing system structural control and the Neighborhood Policy, part 1. Correctness and scalability

Abstract

Structural Control Policies (SCPs) are real-time flexible manufacturing system (FMS) operating policies that guarantee deadlock-free operation. SCPs must be correct and scalable. A correct SCP guarantees deadlock-free operation whereas a scalable (polynomial) SCP remains computationally tractable as FMS size increases. The NP-completeness of state safety (is there a sequence of state transitions leading to the empty state?) implies that a correct and scalable SCP will reject some safe states. SCP efficiencyis the ratio of policy admissible space to FMS safe state space. This paper, the first of a two-part series, discusses FMS structural control and presents a correct and scalable SCP referred to as the Neighborhood Policy. SCP efficiency issues will be discussed in the second part.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

MARK LAWLEY

To whom correspondence should be addressed.