Research Initiation: Effective Real-Time Control in Computer Integrated Manufacturing Systems

This research addresses the issue of computer integrated manufacturing system control by investigating the basic needs associated with developing and implementing real-time scheduling and control decision making tools for the environment. The objective is to study the integration of real-time manufacturing system status data with a computer simulation model of the system to develop an effective and efficient tool to evaluate real-time system scheduling and control decision alternatives. The emphasis is upon creating a 'look-ahead' capability to aid in assessing the long-term system performance impact resulting from decisions made in real-time. The investigation includes implementation issues that are essential for successfully making the physical link between an actual operating system and a real- time simulation to be used for intelligent real-time system control. This research will also provide basic insight into the system control problems in computer integrated manufacturing systems, and it will impact a key industrial concern for intelligent real-time control decisions. This is an important link for achieving truly integrated systems.