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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Intelligent virtual manufacturing cell formation in cloud-based design and manufacturing

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Abstract Cloud-based design and manufacturing (CBDM) can presumably stimulate greater intelligence in cloud-based models. This paper assumes that cloud-based design for cellular manufacturing can be referred to as a multiscale, uncertain, and dynamic service-oriented network where a set of CAD parts, modelled by set of features, can be manufactured in intelligent virtual manufacturing cells under certain constraints. Using the concepts of the holon and the attractor, integrating the uncertainty in the modelling of part design and part–manufacturing network, an approach to address intelligent virtual manufacturing cell formation in CBDM is proposed. The powerful role of the CAD features is exploited to organize and integrate part design and part–manufacturing engineering knowledge. Intelligent manufacturing features, modelled as fuzzy agents, are recognized in CAD part models and the distributed capabilities of machines in cloud manufacturing are evaluated through mobile intelligent agents. Then, intelligent virtual manufacturing cells, with holonic structure, emerge from the interactions of fuzzy machine holon agents and fuzzy part holon agents with holon agent attractors. The concepts of the holon and the attractor allow multi-scale cell formation with holonic structure: “intelligent virtual manufacturing cells within an intelligent virtual manufacturing cell”. These fuzzy cell holons overcome the distinction continuous–discontinuous of traditional cell design formation problem.