An Optimal Path in an AGV-based Manufacturing System with Intelligent Agents

Abstract

This paper concerns with the design of a computer integrated manufacturing system to identify an optimal path in a vehicle routing problem (VRP) network regarding to triple criteria. In most VRPs just one criterion, either time or cost was considered in decision making. But in this paper all time, cost, and AGV capability are noticed in decision making, simultaneously. Recently automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are being applied in material handling process that travels on a network of guide paths. To satisfy a material requirement planning (MRP) by providing the bill of material (BOM), AGVs are suitable devices. In this paper an AGV is employed to carry the parts based on the BOM, therefore the AGV is confronted with various paths in the shop network in a job shop layout. For controlling the time, cost, and AGV capability, intelligent agents are proposed. To decide about selection of the optimal path which is confined in time, cost, and AGV capability, mathematical programming approach is applied. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is validated using two illustrative examples.