ABSTRACT
A search for the most appropriate automation structure in production engineering and manufacturing has converged to distributed, hierarchically organized systems. Mechatronic systems have directly profited from the general advances in evolution o f plant automation concepts, based on distributed processing and decision making possibilities. Mechatronic process in engineering design and product development has therefore benefited from these developments. This chapter introduces the reader into the conceptual design o f distributed structure o f production systems while the issues related to control and optimization o f mechatronic processes are described in Chapter 13 o f this book.
