Design and implementation of virtual production lines for discrete automated manufacturing systems

Abstract A manufacturing execution system (MES) functions as the representative of an enterprise resource planner on the shop floor. The MES integration with a shop-floor control system while guaranteeing the manufacturing system with necessary flexibility and responsiveness is in a great demand. The concept of virtual production lines (VPL) is presented for providing such a solution. When this concept is implemented in the MES and shop-floor control system, both the software and hardware of an integrated manufacturing system can be modularized based on VPLs. It is modularization that makes the manufacturing system easily/quickly accommodate the change of a product mix.