Method for distributed agent-based non-expert simulation of manufacturing process behavior

A method for distributed agent-based simulation of manufacturing process behavior, the simulation having a plurality of agents corresponding to individual processes forming a manufacturing technique, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a message from an agent associated with one of a plurality of different manufacturing techniques comprising a pull, a push, or a takt manufacturing technique, wherein the agent is responsive to a discrete event selected from the group consisting of a clock tick message, a resources received message, and a request for output production message;
• identifying in said received message a discrete event selected from the group consisting of a clock tick event, a resources received event, and a request for output production event;
• causing an associated process to perform an activity in response to said identified event;
• and,
• messaging an adjacent agent in response to said identified event.

A computer apparatus programmed with a routine set of instructions stored in a fixed medium, the computer apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving a message from an agent associated with one of a plurality of different manufacturing techniques comprising a pull, a push, or a takt manufacturing technique;
• means for identifying in said received message a discrete event selected from the group consisting of a clock tick event, a resources received event, and a request for output production event;
• means for causing an associated process to perform an activity in response to said identified event;
• and,
• means for messaging an adjacent agent in response to said identified event.

The computer apparatus according to clam 12, wherein said causing means comprises:

• in response to said clock tick event, means for placing finished output in an output stack corresponding to said associated process;
• in response to said resources received event, means for initiating production of output using resources contained in an input stack corresponding to said associated process;
• and,
• means for passing to an agent associated with an upstream process any output in said output stack produced in response to said discrete event.