A validation procedure in a digital factory is shown in Fig. 4. Before the validation procedure starts, a virtual production line configuration is done by the plant panel. According to the production scenario, the product panel creates workpiece/part agents with operation data to complete them as a product. When operation data indicates autonomous control, the first step of the validation procedure is that a workpiece/part agent requests job estimation to machine agents.
A machine agent examines whether the job can be executed by itself and returns the estimated result of expected job start time. Second, after the workpiece/part agent receives the result from the machine agent, the workpiece/part agent selects a machine based on the earlier finishing time.
Third, the workpiece/part agent allocates the job to the selected machine. When centralized control is taken, the validation procedure is started from this machine allocation according to the operation data. Forth, the machine agent adds the job requested by the workpiece/part agent to the end of the scheduled task list and returns a job execution starting time. Fifth, the
workpiece/part agent requests an AGV agent to transfer virtual things such as material, mounted parts and tools to the machine for virtual execution of the job. Last, during execution of the virtual operations in the machine agent, the machine agent reports the condition and status to the workpiece/part agent. The workpiece/part agent sends the report to the product panel.