One critical barrier leading to successful implementation of flexible manufacturing and related automated systems is the ever-increasing complexity of their modeling, analysis, simulation, and control. Research and development over the last three decades has provided new theory and graphical tools based on Petri nets and related concepts for the design of such systems. The purpose of this book is to introduce a set of Petri-net-based tools and methods to address a variety of problems associated with the design and implementation of flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs), with several implementation examples.There are three ways this book will directly benefit readers. First, the book will allow engineers and managers who are responsible for the design and implementation of modern manufacturing systems to evaluate Petri nets for applications in their work. Second, it will provide sufficient breadth and depth to allow development of Petri-net-based industrial applications. Third, it will allow the basic Petri net material to be taught to industrial practitioners, students, and academic researchers much more efficiently. This will foster further research and applications of Petri nets in aiding the successful implementation of advanced manufacturing systems.

This book has been written for all those interested in flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) and other forms of computerized manufacturing systems (CMS). It deals with many aspects of the design, operation, and simulation of FMS and explains the origins of FMS.

This book covers all the steps from identification of operations and resources to the transformation of virtual models into real-world algorithms. The matrix-based approach presented here is a solution to the real-time application of control in discrete event systems and flexible manufacturing systems (FMS), and offers a sound practical basis for the design of controllers for manufacturing systems.

Advanced modeling techniques are a necessary tool in order to design and manage manufacturing systems effectively. This book contains a set of tutorial chapters on topics ranging from aggregate production planning to real time control, including predictive and reactive scheduling, flow management in assembly systems, simulation of robotic cells, design of manufacturing systems under uncertainty and a historical perspective on production management philosophies. The book will be of interest both to researchers and practitioners, including graduate students in Manufacturing Engineering and Operations Research.