ABSTRACT
The deadlock problem in another class of flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) is characterized by a nonsequential resource requirement. Its solution requires new techniques (Roszkowska and Wojcik, 1993; Roszkowska, 2004; Fanti et al., 1998; Hsieh, 2004). The typical example of such an FMS is a flexible assembly system (FAS). In FAS, there are base components of the products and parts to be mounted on the former. Often, the former and pallets are presented and delivered separately with the latter. The assembly of a complex product can in many cases be divided into a series of subassemblies. Both base components and parts to be mounted on the former take space in the assembly process, and they cannot be finished independently. The transportation task can also be divided into the transport of base components through the assembly, parts into the system, and semifinished parts for further assembly. Common transport devices may be used for some of these tasks. The material flow in this system can be abstracted as a fork/join pattern (Paik and Tcha, 1995; Roszkowska, 2004). An assembly/disassembly material flow is formed.
