Synchronized control in a large-scale networked distributed printing system

As engineered systems that have traditionally been controlled centrally become more modular, distributed, and autonomous, techniques are needed to maintain control coordination among independent elements, often across a network with delays and bandwidth limitations. In particular, manufacturing systems may require tight coordination, or synchronization, among components acting on the same physical object. This paper addresses the problem of controller synchronization in such a system. We present an implementation of exact controller synchronization for independent controllers in a highly modular printing domain. Our approach, which allows networked controllers to join and leave a task dynamically, has produced excellent results on a high-speed printer prototype.