Optimal deadlock avoidance for a class of manufacturing systems using Petri nets

A model for a class of manufacturing systems using Petri nets is presented. An algorithm that eliminates deadlock markings is developed. The net resulting from the application of the algorithm maximizes the number of markings and, therefore, is an optimal solution to the deadlock avoidance problem. The paper presents several examples of the approach and compares the results to other deadlock avoidance algorithms. It is shown that the other approaches eliminate markings which maximize the utilization of the resources.