A Holonic Chain Conveyor Control System: An Application

The control of the flow of goods through an extensive chain conveyor system is a complex task. The currently used control system (based on dispatching rules) is robust but does not take advantage of all opportunities. An alternative approach makes use of a planning algorithm to determine the routing decisions. This requires however all ad hoc algorithm and regular maintenance. The paper examines how the concepts and principles of Holonic Manufacturing Execution Systems can be used to control the product flow. This holonic multi-agent approach makes the control system adaptive and reactive and requires less maintenance. To illustrate how disturbances are handled, the holonic approach is applied to a, cross-dock distribution center equipped with chain conveyors.