Wireless Holon Network for job shop isoarchic control

This work introduces a novel perspective in the field of Holonic Manufacturing Systems, based on wireless intelligent control of production systems. The presented control approach uses isoarchic control architecture and considers wireless sensor network technology as support for its implementation. A wireless holon network (WHN) is thus proposed. WHN is an instance of CPPS (Cyber-physical production systems). This allows decision-making capacities to each physical entity of the production system constituting a set of holons. These holons are connected entities of three types (Product, Resource or Order), that interact to bring out a collective intelligence. The formal models of the various holons are described as well as their exploitation via the wireless sensor network technology. An application to the internal logistics of a job shop is presented. A discussion focuses on organizational changes resulting from the exploitation of a WHN to highlight organizational implications of the operationalization of the proposed approach. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.