Facilities integration in a potentially reconfigurable manufacturing environment

M.Ing.Potential variation in tasks and relative location of manufacturing equipment (machine tools, robot, automated guided vehicles etc.) resulting from the need to restructure the production environment, require efficient and effective communication for optimal performance. The work presented makes use of information and data flow within a system to achieve an integrated and dynamic environment. Models are presented to describe the integration of processing and auxiliary equipment and to select auxiliary equipment for a specific environment. An analytical approach is included for the integration. Specific examples are included. The work presented attempts to contribute to the flexibility of modern manufacturing environments by integrating all facilities in the environment