Peer Reviewed Journal via three different mandatory reviewing processes, since 2006, and, from September 2020, a fourth mandatory peer-editing has been added.
Reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMSs) have been used
to provide manufacturing companies with the required
capacities and capabilities, when needed. Recognizing (1) the
importance of dynamic modeling and visualization in decision
making support in RMSs and (2) the limitations of the existing
studies, we model RMSs based on Petri net (PN) techniques
with focus on the process of reconfiguring system elements
while considering constraints and system performance. In
response to the modeling difficulties identified, a new
formalism of colored timed PNs is introduced. In conjunction
with colored tokens and timing in colored PNs and timed PNs,
we further define a reconfiguration mechanism to meet the
modeling difficulties. A case study of an electronics product is
reported as an application of the proposed colored timed PNs to
RMS modeling.