Product-based and resource-based heterarchical approaches for dynamic flexible manufacturing system scheduling

Two fundamental approaches can be adopted for heterarchical scheduling of flexible manufacturing systems: resource-based scheduling or product-based scheduling. The first part of this paper defines the basic concepts of these two methods (modeling, structure design methodology, communication protocols). The second describes the specific advantages and drawbacks of these two approaches using the results provided to illustrate the discussion. The final section considers a real implementation of the product-based heterarchical philosophy.