Evaluation criteria for holonic control implementations in manufacturing systems

ABSTRACTHolonic control architectures have often been implemented in research on modern manufacturing systems. Although many holonic control systems were implemented using agent-based programming platforms, other platforms hold potential advantages. However, to make an informed decision on which implementation platform/language to use requires a set of evaluation criteria. This paper presents such a set of evaluation criteria that are focussed on the implementation of holonic control in manufacturing systems. The evaluation criteria are formulated from a review of literature, combined with experience in developing holonic control implementations. The most important characteristics, requirements and performance measures are identified and discussed.