Dimitrios Emiris

ABSTRACT This research proposes a method of organizing an eÄ ective information-transfer system design in a plant-working environment. The method is based on a combi- nation of the visual characteristics principles used in the development of safety systems, visual factory design and advanced training practices. With the visual factory principle, the production area is separated into three task zonesA', `B' andC'. ZoneA' represents theperipheral' orreference' zone, zoneB' repre- sents theaccess' orlink' zone and zoneC' represents themain activity' or `production' zone. When implanted, this system will reduce the probability of worker mistakes and, in combination with CAD, it will provide a tool for eÄ ec- tively managing change in an environment of growing demand for information exchange, revision and update. Thus, the system provides a positive thrust in business continuous improvement. Therefore, the method proposed can serve as an interfunctional tool facilitating the job of theoor workers as well as the plant's middle and top managers.

ABSTRACT This article addresses the problem of dynamic job scheduling on a single machine with Poisson arrivals, stochastic processing times and due dates, in the presence of sequence-dependent setups. The objectives of minimizing mean earliness and mean tardiness are considered. Two approaches for dynamic scheduling are proposed, a Reinforcement Learning-based and one based on Fuzzy Logic and multi-objective evolutionary optimization. The performance of the two scheduling approaches is tested against the performance of 15 dispatching rules in four simulation scenarios with different workload and due date pressure conditions. The scheduling methods are compared in terms of Pareto optimal-oriented metrics, as well as in terms of minimizing mean earliness and mean tardiness independently. The experimental results demonstrate the merits of the proposed methods.

In order to meet diverse customer requirements and to maintain manufacturing competitiveness, next generation manufacturing systems must exhibit such features as rapid development and deployment, flexibility with respect to product quantity and variety, and reusability of equipment. The Holonic Manufacturing Systems (HMS) represent one of the most recent approaches in this context. An HMS makes innovative use of technical advances

Fuzzy cognitive maps (FCMs) are recognized as a flexible and powerful modeling and simulating technique. However, it is a relatively new methodology, which exhibits weaknesses mainly in the algorithmic background. Such weaknesses become evident during heuristic evaluations of the cause-effect relationships describing FCM-based systems. External intervention (typically from experts) for the determination and fine-tuning of the FCM parameters cannot be regarded as an accurate and efficient way to design and manage FCMs, especially in the case of highly complicated structures, where even experts meet difficulties in their attempts at a holistic interpretation. The introduction and implementation of a training procedure based on a robust and flexible optimization tool constitutes a promising alternative. This study focuses on evolutionary computation, since this domain encompasses optimization techniques possessing the needed features for this type of problems. Evolution strategies (ESs) appear to be the most appropriate methodology and, as such, they are tested in this work for a potential implementation in FCM-based systems. The proposed approach combines FCM and ES concepts and sets the basis for the establishment and deployment of structural evolution, which broadens the applicability of FCMs

Home > Journal of Knowledge Management > Volume 8 issue 1 > Towards a holistic knowledge management model... ... Icon: Abstract. Icon: Backfiles. Icon: Print. Icon: Reprints & permissions. ... Ioannis E. Diakoulakis, Ioannis E. Diakoulakis, PhD Candidate, ...

Abstract--In this paper we present a novel approach for the synthesis of industrial robot applications with sensory feedback. The proposed approach relies on the development of a blueprint, which is herein defined as an aggregate of reusable software components (classes), thus creating a library. The use of such a library both in the application specification phase and its actual implementation exhibits significant advantages, such as ease of design, robustness, modularity, maintainability and integration of standard ...