Discrete event system techniques for CIM: Guest editorial
MuDer Jeng, Xiaolan Xie · International Journal of Computer Integrated Manufacturing · 2004
Computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) systems belong to the class of discrete event systems (DES), which contain highly complex processes and various types of shared or non-shared resources.The activity in such systems is driven by man-made operational rules.Their dynamics are characterized by asynchronous occurrences of discrete events.Therefore, traditional mathematical techniques based on differential and difference equations are inappropriate for CIM.This brings out a challenging task: the need to develop new modelling frameworks, analysis techniques, and control methods.Over the last few decades, many researchers have developed discrete event system techniques that build on the concepts of system and control theory, computer science, and operations research for modelling, analysis, and control of CIM.This special issue aims at presenting recent advances in such researches.Twelve papers have been accepted for this special issue.Most of them have been selected and expanded from the papers presented for the invited track on 'Petri nets and discrete event systems' for the 2003 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics.A few of them are submitted papers.The contributions of the accepted papers are summarized below.'Virtual Petri nets as a modular modelling method for planning and control tasks of FMS' by O. Morandin Junior and E.R.R. Kato proposes a method for modelling automated manufacturing systems in order to minimize modelling difficulties.The proposed method introduces the virtual Petri net (VPN) and a modular strategy considering the shared resources and the alternative process planning.Using this method, a system has been modelled, initially considering the systems elements for the modelling task, and then a modular linking method can be used in order to build the complete model.In 'Management and control of information flow in CIM systems using UML and Petri nets' C.P. Lin et al. develop a systematic design methodology for control modules to manage and control the information flow among existing and new manufacturing application systems in CIM by synthesizing object oriented modeling (UML) and net analysis (Petri net [PN]) methods.Due to the importance of objects in managing and controlling information flow,