REAL-TIME SCHEDULING IN COMPUTER INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING - A REVIEW OF RECENT RESEARCH

More people are realizing that the success of computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) systems depends on effective scheduling and control. Due to the dynamic nature of manufacturing processes, intelligent real-time scheduling has always been a desirable, but elusive, goal. However, with more computer power being installed on the factory floor and more emphasis placed on networked computer communications, there has been renewed industrial interest and increased academic research in the real-time scheduling area. This paper presents a working definition of real-time control, reviews the recent research on real-time control of CIM systems in the areas of general approaches, artificial intelligence techniques, and simulation methods, and discusses several implementation and feasibility issues.