On-line loading and dispatching in flexible manufacturing systems

This paper aims to contribute to the knowledge of factors influencing the performance of flexible automation systems, through the analysis of the behaviour of control rules (loading and dispatching rules) implemented in the real time control system of such plants. The research objective was to obtain some general indications on modes of approaching loading and dispatching of flexible manufacturing systems, bearing in mind that, on the one hand, the performances of the rules are influenced by the configuration of the plant to run, and on the other that for a given plant, there is the further influence of the production mix.