Abstract
The machine-minding problem is concerned with the running of a large number of machines by a single operator. The problem that is considered in this paper is how to determine the optimal number of machines that an operator can handle in a given situation. If he has too many, machines will break down and be out of action for a long time before being repaired. If he has too few, he will spend most of his time in waiting for a machine to break down. Economic criteria have been used to determine the optimal number, but only where the repair time is either constant or exponentially distributed. Neither of these is applicable in many situations, and the method has been extended to cover the case where the repair time follows an Erlangian distribution. The results are given in tabular form, so that the optimal number of machines can easily be determined if the appropriate system parameters are given. Also tabulated are the operator and machine efficiencies.
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