Bottlenecks in assembly systems: Identification and application

Abstract

Bottlenecks (BNs) in assembly lines with unreliable machines and finite buffers are analyzed. Bernoulli statistics of machines breakdowns are assumed. A method for BN identification is developed. This method requires expressions of the system's production rate and the probabilities of machines blockages and starvations as functions of the machines and buffers parameters. Accordingly, the paper develops a method for evaluating these functions and then applies it to BN analysis. All steps of the development are illustrated by a case study carried out at an automotive component plant.