Multi-layer Intelligent Encapsulation of Manufacturing Resources for MAS-based Distributed Manufacturing System

In order to deal with dynamic change in a manufacturing environment, all kinds of manufacturing resources are reorganized as multifarious agents with different resources and capability. According to the automation level and working mode of each functional agent to finish its tasks in the manufacturing environment, the manufacturing resource agents are divided into three categories. In order to construct these various agents conveniently, a multi-layer structure is put forward. Based on the structure, the agents can not only rapidly deal with unexpected events, but also recognize and predict the environment change automatically to adjust their behavior. A manufacturing system hierarchical architecture based on MAS is also provided. According to the change of actual productive tasks and the difference of scheduling strategies, the manufacturing system can be reconstructed flexibly by changing the MAS structure and the granularity of the agents. Consequently, it can adapt to the rapid change of the manufacturing environment and the manufacturing resources.