Modular approach for Petri-net modeling of flexible manufacturing systems adaptable to various task-flow requirement

A modular approach is presented for constructing Petri-net models for a class of flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs) composed of a transportation vehicle and several functional groups of entities such as machines and buffers. The resulting model preserves the geometric characteristics of the transportation subsystem as well as the flexibility of alternative routes for material flow in an FMS. By separating the machine-dependent part from the whole system, the final model in a modular structure is adaptable to various task flow requirements. In addition, the methodology can deal conveniently with a reconfiguration of the transportation layout