A simulation architecture with distributed controllers for cell-based manufacturing systems

A number of manufacturing systems are categorized into Cell-Based Manufacturing Systems (CBMSs), which have similar physical configurations typically composed of manufacturing cells, transporters and their controllers. However, since the control modules are not separable from the model in conventional simulation frameworks, it is difficult to develop a generic high-fidelity simulator for CBMSs with flexibility in control structure. We propose a generic simulation architecture for CBMSs, "CellSim", using the concept of Controller-In-Loop (CiL), in which all supervisory controllers are separated from simulation models, and developed as individual controller modules. CellSim has three sub-architectures, i.e., the design/modeling architecture, the simulation execution architecture, and output analysis architecture. CellSim has distinctive features and advantages for flexible, high-fidelity, and integrated manufacturing system design and modeling, compared to the conventional simulation frameworks. In this paper, we present distinctive features and architecture of CellSim for CBMSs as well as the concept and implementation of CiL.