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Distributed Agent Software for Automation

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Springer Handbook of Automation

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Abstract

Agent-based software and hardware technologies have emerged as a major approach to organize and integrate distributed elements of complex automation. As an example, this chapter focuses on a particular situation. Composite curing, a rapidly developing industry process, generates high costs when not properly controlled. Curing autoclaves require tight control over temperature that must be uniform throughout the curing vessel. This chapter discusses how agent-based software is being implemented into the curing process by pushing control logic down to the lowest level of the control hierarchy into the process controller, i.e., the programmable logic controller (PLC). The chapter also discusses how the benefits of process survivability, diagnostics, and dynamic reconfiguration are achieved through the use of autoclave and thermocouple intelligent agents.

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Abbreviations

AIM-C:

accelerated insertion of materials-composite

CIP:

common industrial protocol

DARPA:

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

EB:

electron beam

FIPA:

Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents

I/O:

input/output

IEC:

International Electrotechnical Commission

IFAC:

International Federation of Automatic Control

JDL:

job description language

NASA:

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASC:

Naval Air Systems Command

PC:

personal computer

PCB:

printed circuit board

PID:

proportional, integral, and derivative

PLC:

programmable logic controller

PRC:

phase response curve

RDCS:

robust design computation system

RTM:

resin transfer molding

RTM:

robot time & motion method

SBIR:

small business innovation research

SHMPC:

shrinking horizon model predictive control

SRL:

science research laboratory

USB:

universal serial bus

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department Advanced Technology, University/Company Rockwell Automation, 1 Allen Bradley Drive, 44124, Mayfield Heights, OH, USA

    Francisco P. Maturana Dr

  2. Department of Advanced Technology, Rockwell Automation, 1 Allen Bradley Drive, 44124, Mayfield Heights, OH, USA

    Dan L. Carnahan

  3. Department of Advanced Technology, Rockwell Automation, 1 Allen Bradley Drive, 44124, Mayfield Heights, OH, USA

    Kenwood H. Hall

Authors
  1. Francisco P. Maturana Dr
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  2. Dan L. Carnahan
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  3. Kenwood H. Hall
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Francisco P. Maturana Dr , Dan L. Carnahan or Kenwood H. Hall .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. PRISM Center, and School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University, 315 N. Grant Street, 47907, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Shimon Y. Nof

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© 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Maturana, F.P., Carnahan, D.L., Hall, K.H. (2009). Distributed Agent Software for Automation. In: Nof, S. (eds) Springer Handbook of Automation. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-78831-7_28

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-78831-7_28

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-78830-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-78831-7

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

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