20 Part Agents for Exchanging Modules of Manipulators
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20.3 Part Agent System
20.3.1 Part Agent to Support Life Cycle of a Part
In a part agent system, a part agent manages the part information from production to
disposal. The purpose of the system is to promote a society that circulates products
and parts over the life cycle and to save resources. As described previously, the
reuse of parts is a measure that utilizes the functions of parts with lower cost and
fewer resources than recycling. A part agent system that manages the deterioration
information and operation history of the part and proposes to the user an appropriate
judgment on the reuse of the part is developed. This promotes the reuse of parts.
An overview of the part agent is shown in Fig. 20.2.
The part agent autonomously performs various functions through the network
such as communication with other agents and the collection of parts information in
the database. The agent presents the collected information to the user and stores it
in the RFID of the part.
Typically, a part moves among sites in its life cycle as shown Fig. 20.3 and the
part agent system handles this life cycle.
In this paper, the life cycle of parts is represented by six stages: Produce, Sell and
Buy, Use, Replace, Repair, and Dispose. Changes of life cycle stages corresponding
to the sites shown in the figure can be described as follows. In Produce stage, parts
are manufactured at the production site and assembled in assembly site. After that,
the product moves to the market, is sold to a user. This is Sell and Buy stage. Then,
Fig. 20.2 Part agent system
283
20.3 Part Agent System
20.3.1 Part Agent to Support Life Cycle of a Part
In a part agent system, a part agent manages the part information from production to
disposal. The purpose of the system is to promote a society that circulates products
and parts over the life cycle and to save resources. As described previously, the
reuse of parts is a measure that utilizes the functions of parts with lower cost and
fewer resources than recycling. A part agent system that manages the deterioration
information and operation history of the part and proposes to the user an appropriate
judgment on the reuse of the part is developed. This promotes the reuse of parts.
An overview of the part agent is shown in Fig. 20.2.
The part agent autonomously performs various functions through the network
such as communication with other agents and the collection of parts information in
the database. The agent presents the collected information to the user and stores it
in the RFID of the part.
Typically, a part moves among sites in its life cycle as shown Fig. 20.3 and the
part agent system handles this life cycle.
In this paper, the life cycle of parts is represented by six stages: Produce, Sell and
Buy, Use, Replace, Repair, and Dispose. Changes of life cycle stages corresponding
to the sites shown in the figure can be described as follows. In Produce stage, parts
are manufactured at the production site and assembled in assembly site. After that,
the product moves to the market, is sold to a user. This is Sell and Buy stage. Then,
Fig. 20.2 Part agent system