Agent-based manufacturing — review and expert evaluation

Pulikottil, Terrin; Estrada-Jimenez, Luis A.; Ur Rehman, Hamood; Mo, Fan; Nikghadam-Hojjati, Sanaz; Barata, Jose

Abstract

The advent of smart manufacturing and the exposure to a new generation of technological enablers have revolutionized the way manufacturing process is carried out. Cyber-Physical Production Systems (CPPS) are introduced as main actors of this manufacturing shift. They are characterized for having high levels of communication, integration and computational capabilities that led them to a certain level of autonomy. Despite the high expectations and vision of CPPS, it still remains an exploratory topic. Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) have been widely used by software engineers to solve traditional computing problems, e.g., banking transactions. Because of their high levels of distribution and autonomous capabilities, MAS have been considered by the research community as a good solution to design and implement CPPS. This work first introduces a collection of requirements and characteristics of smart manufacturing. A comprehensive review of various research applications is presented to understand the current state of the art and the application of agent technology in manufacturing. Considering the smart manufacturing requirements and current research application, a SWOT analysis was formulated which identifies pros and cons of the implementation of agents in industry. The SWOT analysis was further validated by an industrial expert evaluation and the main findings and discussion of the results are presented.

• Journal Article Type: Review
• Acceptance Date: May 1, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Jun 6, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-07
• Deposit Date: Jul 18, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 18, 2023
• Journal: International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology
• Print ISSN: 0268-3768
• Electronic ISSN: 1433-3015
• Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 127
• Issue: 5-6
• Pages: 2151-2180
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-023-11517-8
• Keywords: Artificial intelligence, Intelligent manufacturing, Multi-agent system, Agent technologies, Smart manufacturing
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/22449060
• Publisher URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00170-023-11517-8
• Additional Information: Received: 18 November 2022; Accepted: 1 May 2023; First Online: 6 June 2023; : ; : The authors declare no competing interests.