Study on Virtual Intelligent Assembly System for Machine Tools Based on Multi-Agent and Petri-Net

Virtual reality is a technology, which is often regarded as a natural extension to 3D computer graphics with advanced input and output devices. It can help manufacturing enterprises attain their common goal for lowering the total manufacturing costs, producing products in shorter times and with higher quality, and deliver products on time. This paper explored the application of several advance technologies such as VRML, multi-agent and Petri-net in virtual intelligent assembly system. A proof-of-concept desktop system, namely, virtual intelligent assembly system for machine tools (VIASMT) based on multi-agent and Petri-net has been proposed and developed to display assembly process and demonstrate correlative functions of virtual machine tool. The common feature of traditional methods is that establishing a precise state equation to simulate the dynamic process of system. But, VIASMT can't be described by accurate mathematical method in fact. Relatively speaking, Petri net has stronger ability to describe the dynamic property of system perfectly, and its graphic means is more easily to be understood and accepted. Some software development kits such as visual C++ and Open Inventor are used to implement the VIASMT with the help of multi-agent and Petri-net technologies. The work flowchart is given. In this virtual intelligent assembly system, a new machine tool can be assembled easily and rapidly. In this paper, several application instances are provided