The demand for automated diagnostic facilities has increased due to the rise in high-risk infectious diseases. However, small and medium-sized centers struggle to implement full automation because of limited resources. An integrated molecular diagnostics automation system addresses this issue by integrating small-scale automated facilities for each diagnostic process. Nonetheless, determining the optimal number of facilities and human resources remains challenging. This study proposes a methodology combining discrete event simulation and a genetic algorithm to optimize job-shop facility layout in the integrated molecular diagnostics automation system. A discrete event simulation model incorporates the number of facilities, processing times, and batch sizes for each step of the molecular diagnostics process. Genetic algorithm operations, such as tournament, crossover, and mutation, are applied to derive the optimal strategy for facility layout. The proposed methodology derives optimal facility layouts for various scenarios, minimizing costs while achieving the target production volume. This methodology can serve as a decision support tool when introducing job-shop production in the integrated molecular diagnostics automation system

MES(manufacturing execution system) plays a critical role in improving production efficiency by managing operations across the entire manufacturing system. Conventional manufacturing systems employ a centralized control structure, which has limitations in terms of the flexibility, scalability and reconfigurability of the manufacturing system. Agent-based manufacturing systems, on the other hand, are better suited to dynamic environments due to their inherent high autonomy and reconfigurability. In this study, we propose an agent-based MES and present its collaboration model between agents along with a data structure. The agent-based MES consists of three types of core agents: WIPAgent, PAgent(processing agent), and MHAgent(material handling agent). The entire manufacturing execution process operates through collaboration among these core agents, and all collaboration is carried out through autonomous interactions between the agents. In particular, the order-by-order dispatching process and the WIP(work-in-process) routing process are represented as respective collaboration models to facilitate understanding and analyzing the processes. In addition, we define data specifications required for MES implementation and operation, and their respective structures and relationships. Moreover, we build a prototype system employing a simulation model of an exemplary shop-floor as a simulation test bed. The framework proposed in this study can be used as a basis for building an automated operating system in a distributed environment.

Recently, in the manufacturing industry, changes in various environmental conditions and constraints appear rapidly. At this time, a dispatching system that allocates work to resources at an appropriate time plays an important role in improving the speed or quality of production. In general, a rule-based static dispatching method has been widely used. However, this static approach to a dynamic production environment with uncertainty leads to several challenges, including decreased productivity, delayed delivery, and lower operating rates, etc. Therefore, a dynamic dispatching method is needed to address these challenges. This study aims to develop a reinforcement learning-based dynamic dispatching system, in which dispatching agents learn optimal dispatching rules for given environmental states. The state space represents various information such as WIP(work-in-process) and inventory levels, order status, machine status, and process status. A dispatching agent selects an optimal dispatching rule that considers multiple objectives of minimizing total tardiness and minimizing the number of setups at the same time. In particular, this study targets a multi-area manufacturing system consisting of a flow-shop area and a cellular-shop area. Thus, in addition to the dispatching agent that manages inputs to the flow-shop, a dispatching agent that manages transfers from the flow-shop to the cellular-shop is also developed. These two agents interact closely with each other. In this study, an agent-based dispatching system is developed and the performance is verified by comparing the system proposed in this study with the existing static dispatching method.

In the manufacturing industry, dispatching systems play a crucial role in enhancing production efficiency and optimizing production volume. However, in dynamic production environments, conventional static dispatching methods struggle to adapt to various environmental conditions and constraints, leading to problems such as reduced production volume, delays, and resource wastage. Therefore, there is a need for dynamic dispatching methods that can quickly adapt to changes in the environment. In this study, we aim to develop an agent-based model that considers dynamic situations through interaction between agents. Additionally, we intend to utilize the Q-learning algorithm, which possesses the characteristics of temporal difference (TD) learning, to automatically update and adapt to dynamic situations. This means that Q-learning can effectively consider dynamic environments by sensitively responding to changes in the state space and selecting optimal dispatching rules accordingly. The state space includes information such as inventory and work-in-process levels, order fulfilment status, and machine status, which are used to select the optimal dispatching rules. Furthermore, we aim to minimize total tardiness and the number of setup changes using reinforcement learning. Finally, we will develop a dynamic dispatching system using Q-learning and compare its performance with conventional static dispatching methods.

Up to date cosmetic OEM/ODM (original equipment manufacturing/original development manufacturing) industry receives attention as a future growth engine due to steady growth. However, because of limited research and development capability, many companies have employed commercial management platforms specialized for large-sized companies; thus, overall system effectiveness and efficiency is low. Especially, MRP (material requirement planning) system introduced originally in 1970s is employed to calculate the requirement of the parts. However, dynamic nature of production lead time usually results in incorrect requirements. In addition, its algorithm does not consider the capability of the production resources. Also, because the commercial MRP system calculates all subcomponent for fixed period, the more goods have subcomponent, the slower calculation is. Therefore, conventional MRP system cannot respond complicated situation in time. In this study, we will suggest a new method that can respond to complicated situations resulting from short lead time and urgent production order in Korean cosmetic market. In particular, a distributed MRP system is proposed, that consists of multi-functional and operational modules, based on the characteristic of the BOM (bill of material). The distributed MRP system divides components (i.e. products and parts) into several fields and decrease the problem size; thus, we can respond to dynamically changed data any time. Through this solution, we can order components quickly, adjust schedules and planned quantity, and manage stocks reasonably. In addition, a prototype of the distributed MRP system is presented in this paper, in which ERP (enterprise resource planning) sever data is associated with an excel spreadsheet via MSsql. System user interface is implemented by a VBA (visual basic for applications) tool. According to a case study, response rate for delivery and planning achievement rate were enhanced about 20%, and inventory turnover was also decreased. Consequently, the proposed system improves overall profit.