Research and Models for Automated Manufacturing

Automated manufacturing systems are complex integrated systems. MS/OR models, because of their ability to offer insights into the nature of the interaction among components in complex systems, can play a major role in the design, operation, and control of complex automated manufacturing systems. With today's knowledge, it is virtually impossible to design and install a system consisting of hardware, software, data-base management, communication technology, and human resources in which each of these five subsystems can fully exploit the other four. This limitation provides considerable scope for learning and a continuing role for research and models during steady-state operation.