Simulation Facilities for the Development of Computer-Integrated Manufacturing

The efficiency of computer-integrated manufacturing depends on the ability quantitatively to specify the relational structure of production processes. To that purpose, a functional assessment of shop-floor operations is needed, defining both causal and judgemental relationships. The knowledge framework should then be analysed with modular plant-simulation facilities that are able to emulate the processes' governing logic. This paper discusses the problem, with special reference to the programming packages developed by the Industrial Robot Design Research Group of the University of Genova, Italy, during recent year