1 Diverse Risk/Cost Balancing Strategies for Flexible Tool Management in a Supply Network

This work is a part of a wider scope research concerned with the development and implementation of a Multi-Agent Tool Management System (MATMS) for automatic tool procurement. The design, functioning, and performance of diverse Flexible Tool Management Strategies (FTMS) integrated in the MATMS is illustrated here. The MATMS operates in the frame of a negotiation based multiple-supplier network where a turbine blade producer (customer) requires from external tool manufacturers (suppliers) the performance of dressing operations on worn-out CBN grinding wheels for nickel base alloy turbine blade fabrication. The diverse FTMS paradigms, configured as domain specific problem solving functions operating within the MATMS intelligent agent holding the responsibility for optimum tool inventory sizing and control, have been tested by tool inventory management simulations and comparison with real industrial cases