| A new methodology is developed for designing life cycle automated systems. This method provides not only a quantitative technique for acquiring experts' experiences but also a systematic way for integrating all design phases as a whole. A deterministic methodology for optimizing the facility layout is addressed first. Five design steps are used to derive an optimized facility layout: (1) Differential Average Algorithm and accelerated simulation are applied to determine the minimum required quantities of Automatic Material Processing Machines (AMPMs). (2) Predictive simulation is then used to synthesize the design parameters of Material Handling System (MHS). (3) A heuristic algorithm is developed to find the best connectivity of AMPMs. (4) A theoretic optimized facility layout is derived based on the above analysis results. (5) Finally, the derived layout design is evaluated and validated by a virtual testbed to ensure the success of the designed system. The Extended Real-time Control System (ERCS) method is developed and used as the software design architecture of the virtual testbed. Additionally, other design phases in the system's life cycle, such as system operation control, system maintenance, and system training tool support, can be completed and integrated by applying the ERCS method. Thus, a complete life cycle design of an automated system is achieved. Several United States Postal Service (USPS) mail sorting facilities are used as examples to illustrate the value of this life cycle design methodology. The system performance, utilization, and efficiency of tested facilities have been increased significantly by applying this method. |
