PLC-based implementation of supervisory control for flexible manufacturing systems using theory of regions. (16th May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rezig, Sadok; Ghorbel, Chekib; Achour, Zied; Rezg, Nidhal
• Is Part Of: International journal of automation and control. Volume 13:Number 5(2019)
• Page Start: 619
• Page End: 640
• Publication Date: 2019-05-16
• Subjects: Petri nets -- signal interpreted Petri net -- theory of regions -- program logic controller -- supervisory control -- Petri net controller -- reachability graph -- algebraic methods -- flexible manufacturing systems -- FMSs -- deadlock prevention; Automation -- Periodicals; Control theory -- Periodicals; Automatic control -- Periodicals; Robots -- Periodicals; Bionics -- Periodicals; Intelligent control systems -- Periodicals
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1740-7516

Abstract

The supervisory control is a common theory for the synthesis of Petri net (PN) supervisors for discrete event systems given a PN model and a control specification for the maximum permissive behaviour. The theory of regions as one of control synthesis method generates a PN controller to satisfy the control specification. Though the theory of regions has for over a decade received a considerable attention in academy, still very few applications exist. The real cause of this seems to be a contradiction between the abstract controller and its physical implementation. This is evident in particular when the implementation is supposed to be based on a programmable logic controller (PLC), as is the case for flexible manufacturing systems. Indeed, since the synchronous PLC is based on signals, the PN supervisor remains asynchronous; this explains its implementation difficulty. In this work, a control synthesis method using the theory of regions is implemented with a Java application on PLCs of a flexible manufacturing system (FMS) installed in our research laboratory in the University of Lorraine in Metz, France.