A Multi-Agent System Architecture for Self-configuration

Due to constant globalisation new trends on the market are coming up. One of the trends is the customisation of products for the customer and shorter product life cycles. To overcome the trends industries identified as key element self-reconfigurable production systems. A change to a running system means loss of time, money and manpower. A reconfigurable production system can automatically adapt to changes in terms of changing a machine or a product. The methodology behind is adapted from the office world and is called plug and produce. However, a production system has different requirements which need to be met. Due to a lack of homogeneity of industrial controllers in terms of communication and reconfigurability, as well as the interaction with the end user, the multi-agent technology was identified as a superior communicator. We present a new multilayered multi-agent architecture where the necessary agent types are introduced to fulfil the requirements for plug and produce. One scenario is shown where the architecture is employed to enable plug and produce capabilities and allow the system to adapt itself.