Stability Analysis Scheme for Autonomously Controlled Production Networks with Transportations

In this paper, we present a scheme for the stability analysis of autonomously controlled production networks with transportations. We model production networks by differential equations and discrete event simulation models (DES) from a mathematical and engineering point of view, where transportation times are considered in the models as time delays. Lyapunov functions as a tool to check the stability of networks are used to calculate stability regions. Then, this region is refined using the detailed DES. This approach provides a scheme to determine stability regions of networks with less time consumption in contrast to a pure simulation approach. In presence of time delays, new challenges in the analysis occur, which is pointed out in this paper.