Design of holonic manufacturing systems

The introduction of CIM (Computer Integrated Manufacturing) systems in the 1980s, aiming at integrating automatic workstations into fully automated factories, was not successful. The root causes of this failure were that the subsystems to be integrated were not suitably designed for easy integration into a larger system. This situation stimulated the authors to embark on a research programme on ‘design for the unexpected’. It defined how subsystems have to be designed so that integration into larger systems becomes easier and how such an integrated system can be controlled so that it can cope with change and disturbances. In the paper, the design principles and salient features of holonic manufacturing systems (HMS) are outlined. The PROSA reference architecture, defining the basic structure of any HMS, is described. It is further explained how coordination and control of the HMS is achieved by a holonic manufacturing execution system (HMES), based on the combination of the PROSA reference architecture and a biologically inspired Delegate Multiagent System (DMAS). Finally, the power and universality of the PROSA/DMAS system is demonstrated by some case studies from manufacturing, robotics and open air engineering.