Professional Documents
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on AUTOMATIC CONTROL, MODELLING & SIMULATION (ACMOS'08), Istanbul, Turkey, May 27-30, 2008
Abstract: - Our paper objective is to propose a new concept of holonic control applied to reconfigurable machines. The
research aims by holonic approach of reconfigurable manufacturing system to obtain radically new, self-adaptive,
rapidly reconfigurable, holonic machines for batch industrial production in open-ended and rapid changing real-market
environments. The holonic concept can be applied on both hardware and software levels. The generic holon is defined
as a computational entity or a computational entity associated with a physical part. In the paper is show an example of
how holonic approach can be implemented by developing the next generation of manufacturing machines.
Key-Words: - Reconfigurable manufacturing systems, System architecture, Open architecture control, Holonic
structures, Self-programming, holarchy.
rough and finish. This results in considerable decrease in the machine programming time shall be much shorter,
both energy and raw materials consumption. which is crucial in case of small batch production.
5. The models used for identification shall be simple,
local and temporal – During processing of a batch of p
objects, the difference between the p blanks is not too 3.2 Characteristics of the HR machines
high. Moreover, re-identification is performed at small According with the proposed paradigm, the HR
time intervals (e.g. after processing each piece). This machines will have the following seven core
makes the machine state variables change very little, characteristics:
always remaining in the vicinity of the operation point. a) Robotic-modular structure – Holonic
That is why the models describing the holon behavior reconfigurable machines feature the architecture of a
shall be simple, local and temporal. Being as simple as robot with one or more arms. Each arm ends in a gripper
that, the number of experiences taken to build these which grasps the piece, the tool, measuring device or
models can be reduced to one or two pieces. Thus it is other elements. Each arm has a number of degrees of
possible to better control the process and significantly freedom: some of them are active and represent simple
reduce consumption even in the case of small batch rotation or translation movements while others are
production. passive i.e. represent possible but blocked movements.
6. Replacement the hierarchic control with a A passive degree of freedom is a mechanical interface
holarchic control – After reconfiguring, a long ramp-up by means of which the module is connected to another
time is necessary to remake the hierarchic control module to form together the machine configuration.
system. If the control system is a holarchic one, the Each degree of freedom, active or passive, has a
modules may function by unsupervised cooperation, on reference system. The relative position of the module
the basis of a general rules set, without the need of reference systems is known. So it is the solid model of
designing and executing of a special top-down control the module.
system. The holarchic control represents the basis of the b) “Adaptronic” concept – Each module is a
reconfigurability of the machine control system and of mechatronic system integrating an actuator, mechanical
the “plug-and-play” operation of the machine in case of structure, sensors and embedded controller. The sensors
small batch production. monitor the state variables of the module, such as
7. The machine functioning to be holistically effector position and thermo-mechanical field of the
optimized on-line by negotiation among the machine module, using sensor fusion techniques. The sensors are
holons – When two holons cooperate in order to periodically read at appropriate frequencies. Between
accomplish one task, the task execution is preceded by two successive readings the control loop is run once.
negotiation between the two holons. Each holon The adaptive control algorithm provides for two-stage
responds to the cooperation needs of the other, and by processing of the data sent by the sensors, i.e. the
planning and simulating the task accomplishment, while module self-identification and the deviations prediction
the performance level is evaluated. If the performance stage followed by correction (or compensation) of the
level is not satisfactory, then the way in which they state variable values.
cooperate in task accomplishment is changed and a new c) Cognition based – With HR machines the part-
simulation is performed, and so on, until the program is a list of targets containing only information
performance reaches the highest level. Before on the result to be obtained by material processing, such
negotiation all possible alternatives of the task as: shape, size, position, micro-geometry of each
achievement plan are identified. Upon completion of the surface, and not a list of instructions the machine is
negotiation, one of the alternatives is selected. supposed to follow (which stands for the machine
8. The part-program should comprise information operating cycle). Thus the preparation time taken by the
regarding the characteristics imposed on the HR machine to execute a new object is fundamentally
manufactured object in order to be considered diminished.
acceptable, and not information on the way in which the HR machines have the capability of on line self-
functioning cycle of the machine should develop so that programming which means that based on the list of
the object may have these characteristics – This means targets they can elaborate the list of instructions. For
that the part-program should contain a list of targets and self-programming, certain knowledge is necessary
not a list of instructions. Starting from the targets specific both to the new object to be manufactured –
included in the part-program, the holonic structure of the such as the relationship between the work piece
machine should allow for negotiation of the plan design, material, cutting speed and tool wear rate, and to the
plan analysis and plan proper execution. The part- new machine that emerged by reconfiguration – such as
program shall be very simple as it will contain only the the relationship between dimensional deviations and
targets written in a high-level language. Consequently cutting force. The HR machines include a distributed
cognitive system which, by employing the data and information about the working plan the machine has to
knowledge obtained by the modules during operation, follow in order to reach these targets. Before starting the
develops reasoning which further generates the machining process leading to the target, the holons pass
knowledge needed for self programming, both those through the negotiation stage when they
specific to the new object and to the new machine (thus conceive/prepare the possible alternatives of the working
fundamentally reducing the ramp-up time). The plan, simulate the running, evaluate the performance and
reasoning techniques shall be the unsupervised ones, select the best alternative.
such as case based reasoning. Also the distributed g) Reconfigurable and open architecture – Both
cognitive system provides the knowledge necessary for hardware and software architectures of the HR machines
the HR machine self-organization, self-adaptation and are open, because adding or eliminating a holon
self-optimization, as in the case of the HR machine self- modifies the number of holons but not the rules
programming. governing their cooperation. Moreover, by on-line self-
d) Holonic operated – The modules shaping the identification (which is one of the components of the
machine structure are autonomous and cooperative, self-adaptation capability) HR machines permanently
which means they are holons able to elaborate, negotiate update the control model so that the structure
and execute the plan of achieving the selected target (the modification along with the time and space evolution of
list of proposed targets is in the part-program of the their behavior does not determine the machine to stop
manufactured object). A working cycle of a HR machine for re-adjusting or re-programming.
has as starting point the selection of one of the targets
included into the part-program and ends with the
achievement of that target, which includes planning, 3.3 HR manufacturing machine structure
negotiation and execution activities. Thus, all possible This next generation manufacturing machine has the
alternatives to reach the target are first identified. By structure of a 3-arms robot; one arm holds and rotates
selecting one of these possibilities, the planning stage the work-piece, another arm holds the work-piece and
which consists in self-organization, task binning and the third arm holds the tool or the measuring device.
self-programming is run over. The resulting plan is
evaluated in terms of feasibility and, if accepted, the
resulting performance is evaluated too. By comparing
the performance corresponding to the feasible
alternatives, it is accepted the plan reaching the highest
performance level. Next the accepted plan is executed,
i.e. the task-program execution, predictive stability
control, adaptive accuracy control and optimal cost
control, resulting in the manufactured object and a brief
report.
e) Holarhic controlled – The holon autonomy is given a)
by a set of internal rules which determines its
“instinctual” behavior while the holon cooperation is
provided by a set of external rules which determines its
“social” behavior and forms the machine operating
system. The holon “instinct” is embedded into its own
control system and represents a fixed characteristic,
which is not changed by the holon reconfiguration – for
example, the solid model of the holon. The “social” part
of the holon does change with the machine
reconfiguration. A proper design and development of
the holon “instinct” may reduce the “social“ to a next-to-
negligible level. In this way the holarchic control makes
the HR machines work “plug-and-play” and, after its b)
reconfiguration, need a low ramp-up time, which is
crucial in assuring responsiveness to changing mix and Fig.1 Hardware architecture of configured
volume demands. manufacturing machine (a); the conceptual schemata of
f) On-line holistic optimized – The part-program of a holon (b).
the HR machines contains only information about the
requirements imposed to the object (targets), not
Each degree of freedom is given by a module, such identified; for example which of the available tools shall
as: longitudinal translation (3), transversal translation be used is a criterion for the identification of the
(4), tool rotation (5), part rotation (1), loading the tool possible alternatives;
(2), loading the measuring device (6) and work-piece -one alternative is selected out of the identified ones; -
holding (7). These modules are autonomous, cooperative drawing the target reaching plan;
and intelligent, meaning that they are intelligent holons. -the feasibility of this plan is evaluated and, if proven
Each holon is a mechatronic knowledge based module. not feasible (for example if it leads to collisions between
For example, a kinematic holon is shown in the fig. 1, b. the module systems), then the alternative is rejected and
This holon materializes a degree of freedom that consists another alternative will be selected;
in a translation movement. It has an actuator for -if the plan is feasible, then the economic performance
performing the translation movement, an effector, of the alternative, cost (energy, raw materials, tools wear
sensors for monitoring the holon state variables (for etc.) and time, is evaluated;
example, the effector position), an intelligent embedded
control system which implements the holon control
algorithms and an interface for communication with
other holons.
4 Conclusion
This paper presented a new approach for developing
reconfigurable manufacturing machines. According to
the authors, the holonic approach could be the solution
of the issues arising in the development of the
manufacturing machines. The holonic concept can be
applied on both hardware and software levels. Several
research directions have been drawn for future
development of holonic reconfigurable manufacturing
system.
Acknowledgement
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial
support of the Romanian Ministry of Education and
Research through grant PN-II-ID_653/2007.
References:
[1] Z. M. Bi & Sherman Y. T. Lang & M. Verner & P.
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