Fuzzy logic control of material flow in flexible manufacturing systems

Automated material flow is essential to the optimal performance of a flexible manufacturing system (FMS). For those FMS for which material flow is carried out using conveyors, the control of the conveyor system is the key to managing material delivery to several machines comprising the system. This paper describes a fuzzy logic-based control model for an FMS conveyor system. Fuzzy logic technology is employed to realize PID control in real-time. Conveyor speed on each conveyor segment is controlled using fuzzy logic techniques to regulate the arrival rate of pallets to work stations. In this way, the production throughput of the FMS is maximized.