In this section, the main characteristics of MAS application to S&C in manufacturing are reviewed. As discussed in the section dealing with planning, scheduling, and control in manufacturing from an integrated perspective, it seems more appropriate to consider S&C as an integrated phase instead of separating these activities as in conventional approaches to MS management. In particular, S&C activities are strictly related whenever scheduling is assumed as an on-line activity that is not naturally or reasonably separate from control. On the other hand, a control activity without an input schedule to be followed one that often must be defined or revised on-line would be worthless.

The function of the shop floor control system (SFCS) is to execute the planned schedule while monitoring and controlling the production processes. In fact, a schedule determines the nominal assignment, sequencing, and timetabling of the production activities on the available resources, disregarding a number of details that, on the other hand, are necessary to actually carry out the plan. Thus, the function of SFCS is to take into account production details, from the management of movements of pallets or lots in the shop floor to the management of the tools in the manufacturing cells and the download of the correct program part to perform the operations on the numerically controlled machines.

Recent trends in manufacturing highlight the increasing importance of four main requirements for SFCS to provide the system with responsiveness and agility, namely, reconfigurability,...