A Petri Net Approach to Performance Evaluation of Manufacturing Systems

Abstract

Petri net modeling is an effective approach for analyzing the performance of industrial manufacturing systems. Its major advantage over conventional simulation techniques lies in its capability to represent actual operating conditions with greater accuracy. Data collected from manufacturing environments often contain significant uncertainty, and Petri net models are well suited to incorporate such variability to realistically capture the dynamic behavior of individual sub-systems within a plant. Through Petri net–based simulation, long-term availability of system components can be evaluated by simulating plant operations in a virtual environment. The outcomes of this analysis assist in identifying critical sub-systems that have a substantial impact on overall system availability. Based on these insights, targeted maintenance strategies can be developed for individual sub-systems, thereby minimizing production losses caused by equipment downtime. The applicability of the proposed approach is illustrated in this study using a complex repairable manufacturing system.