Simulation study of an AGV system in an FMS environment

A simulation program written in ECSL to simulate an AGV system serving an FMS is presented. It incorporates a special algorithm to enable ‘intelligent’ routing of the AGVs with minimum control requirements. The program was used to examine several parameters and scheduling/control disciplines affecting the AGV system's performance for a specific FMS. Results show that selection of an appropriate combination of parameter values can have a beneficial effect on the FMS.