Presented in this thesis is a graphical JR-net modeler named JR-net Editor together with a structured method for algebraically describing JR-net models. JR-net (or Job-resource Relation Network) is a graphical modeling tool specifically designed for modeling & simulation of automated manufacturing systems (AMS).
The JR-net Editor is designed to support the three-phase modeling paradigm of JR-net modeling procedure which is similar to the actual AMS-design process: 1) First, a layout model of the AMS is interactively constructed; 2) next, job-flows are specified in a functional model, 3) and then all the supervisory control functions are defined in a control model. The outputs of the JR-net Editor are a graphical JR-net model of the AMS together with a model-description file. The graphical JR-net model may be used as a communication and model-verification tool and the model-description file is used as an input to a simulation engine. In the JR-net Editor which is implemented in C++, each individual JR-net component is represented as an object-class model. A Mazak-type FMS has been modeled using the JR-net Editor.
