Abstract
The authors propose an approach to systematic synthesis of Petri net models for manufacturing systems. It is based on top-down, modular, and decomposition philosophies which make the stepwise refinement of the Petri-net models possible. Using the proposed method, it is possible to obtain a Petri net model which is guaranteed to have the most important properties in the context of manufacturing: safeness, liveness, and reversibility. A formal problem statement is presented first. Then, the previous research on synthesis approaches is reviewed. Next, several modules are defined which, when combined according to a proposed algorithm, lead to the derived model. It is proven that the algorithm yields the safeness, liveness, and reversibility properties. An example of piston-rod assembly is used to demonstrate the proposed method.< >