A rule-based, object-oriented framework for operating flexible manufacturing systems

A methodology for operating a flexible manufacturing system (FMS) is presented which consists of a decomposition of the problem, where heuristics, rules, and simulation are integrated to make the control decisions needed for random FMSs. Expert systems are used to make operating decisions, to choose heuristics, and make operating policies. Multiple passes of discrete-event simulation are employed to evaluate decision alternatives. Object-oriented programming provides a suitable environment to implement the integrative framework.