A hybrid particle swarm optimisation algorithm and fuzzy logic for process planning and production scheduling integration in holonic manufacturing systems

Abstract

Modern manufacturing systems have to cope with dynamic changes and uncertainties such as machine breakdown, hot orders and other kinds of disturbances. Holonic manufacturing systems (HMS) provide a flexible and decentralised manufacturing environment to accommodate changes dynamically. HMS is based on the notion of holon, an autonomous, co-operative and intelligent entity which is able to collaborate with other holons to complete the tasks. HMS requires a robust coordination and collaboration mechanism to allocate available resources to achieve the production goals.

In this paper, a basic integrated process planning and scheduling system, which is applicable to the holonic manufacturing systems is presented. A basic architecture of holonic manufacturing system is proposed from the viewpoint of the process planning and the scheduling systems. Here, the process planning is defined as a process to select suitable machining sequences of machining features and suitable operation sequences of machining equipments, taking into consideration the short-term and long-term capacities of machining equipments. A fuzzy inference system (FIS), in choosing alternative machines for integrated process planning and scheduling of a job shop in HMS, is presented. Instead of choosing alternative machines randomly, machines are being selected based on the machine's capacity. The mean time for failure (MTF) values are input in a fuzzy inference mechanism, which outputs the machine reliability. The machine is then being penalised based on the fuzzy output. The most reliable machine will have the higher priority to be chosen. In order to overcome the problem of un-utilisation machines, sometimes faced by unreliable machine, the hybrid particle swarm optimisation (PSO) with differential evolution (DE) has been applied to balance the load for all the machines. Simulation studies show that the proposed system can be used as an effective way of choosing machines in integrated process planning and scheduling.

Keywords:

• holonic manufacturing systems (HMS)
• process planning, production scheduling
• particle swarm optimisation
• differential evolution (DE)

Acknowledgements

This research is supported by 863 High Technology Plan Foundation of China (grant NO 2002AA415270), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Contract No. 2001BA201A32) and Natural Science foundation of GANSU province (grant NO3ZS062-B25-033).