Cellular manufacturing versus a hybrid system: a comparative study

Abstract

PurposeTo compare the performance of a new hybrid manufacturing system (HMS) with a conventional cellular manufacturing system (CMS). The hybrid system is a combination of the cellular manufacturing and job shop.Design/methodology/approachA hypothetical manufacturing facility with eight machines and 20 parts is used as a case. Simulation models are developed for two manufacturing systems. A multi‐factor comparison is carried out to test the performance of the systems under different scenarios.FindingsIt was found that group scheduling rules (GSR) and the manufacturing system design factors have significant impact on the performance of the system. In particular, the hybrid system shows its best performance when the MSSPT GSR is applied, whereas the cellular system is superior when DDSI is implemented. The results also demonstrate that, by adding non‐family parts to the production schedule of the HMS, significant benefits in the performance measures can be attained.Research limitations/implicationsThe conclusion cannot be generalized, as the result is dependent upon the input data and the size of the problem.Practical implicationsThe application may be limited to certain industry sectors. Further studies may be needed to identify the appropriate industry.Originality/valueWhile the majority of the literature focuses on either a job shop or a pure CMS, this paper has a distinctive approach that allows the combined use of both systems. This could be a useful transitional approach from one system to the other.