Pipeless batch plant with operating robots for a multiproduct production system

Abstract

Chemical process industries need to be able to adapt to the fast changing market to meet consumer demands. A pipeless batch plant with multiple operating robots for a high-mix and low-volume production system which has more flexibility and agility is developed in this paper. For more efficient use of the plant resources, such as movable vessel robots, coupling robots, and production tasks, operational models for a vessel route planning, coupling robot operation dispatching, and task assignment are proposed as an integrated control methodology. Finally, the effectiveness of the operational models for the pipeless batch plant system is discussed and shown through the simulation experiment. Furthermore, a system bottleneck is analyzed for more effective plant system.