Heuristic Routing Algorithms for Time-Sensitive Networks in Smart Factories.

Area of Science:

• Industrial Internet
• Smart Manufacturing
• Network Engineering

Background:

• Smart factories, a key concept in Industry 4.0, are increasingly adopted in traditional manufacturing.
• Time-sensitive networks (TSNs) are crucial for enabling communication within smart factory architectures.
• Existing routing algorithms are inadequate for TSNs, leading to congestion and latency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the limitations of traditional routing algorithms in smart factory TSNs.
• To propose novel heuristic optimization algorithms for efficient TSN flow routing.
• To enhance communication reliability and reduce latency in industrial networks.

Main Methods:

• Classification of time-sensitive network (TSN) flows within smart factory environments.
• Formulation of the routing problem as two distinct graphical problems.
• Development and application of two heuristic optimization algorithms: GATTRP and AACO.

Main Results:

• The proposed GATTRP and AACO algorithms demonstrated superior routing arrangements for diverse TSN flows.
• Significant reductions in overall network delay were achieved, up to 74% with GATTRP and 41% with AACO.
• The algorithms exhibited promising operational performance and effectiveness in managing network traffic.

Conclusions:

• The developed heuristic algorithms effectively optimize routing for time-sensitive networks in smart factories.
• These advancements contribute to more efficient and reliable communication infrastructure for Industry 4.0.
• The findings offer practical solutions for mitigating latency and congestion in industrial networks.