In: International Journal of Production Research, Vol. 32, No. 10, pages 2303-2322. 1994.
Abstract: The modeling and analysis of Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS) has been approached through a variety of methodologies, which diverge considerably in their ability to represent and analyze complex FMS features. This paper broadly classifies the chief approaches, and evaluates them against certain prescriptions. Petri nets and their extensions score highly on the evaluation criteria. A modeling approach is presented based on conditional predicate/transition nets (CPrTN), which extend the modeling power of predicate/transition Nets. CPrTN provide formal, concise and graphical models, eminently suited for modeling the often complex dynamic interactions in an FMS.
Keywords: CPrT nets, conditional predicate/transition nets, flexible manufacturing systems, predicate/transition nets.