Application of Topological Network Measures in Manufacturing Systems

Abstract

Manufacturing systems are complex networks of material flow. Complex network theory has been used as a descriptive and empirical research tool for various network types. However, due to the distinct origin of the various investigated networks (e.g., social networks, biological networks, the Internet), it is not clear if there is a meaningful application of network measures in manufacturing systems. This chapter investigates network modeling and network measures in manufacturing systems, and categorizes them according to their type of research.