Justification for Installing Buffer Stocks in Unbalanced Two Stage Automatic Transfer Lines

Abstract

Abstract This paper deals with the role of inventory banks in balanced and unbalanced flow-line production systems by presenting results of a theoretical study of the problem and numerical experiments by computer simulation. It is shown that if the costs of both storage capacity and division of the line for a buffer are high, and therefore installing a buffer is not possible, then the line should be designed to have the same cycle times over all stages. When installing a buffer is possible, the line should be designed in such a way that the stage production rates are the same. Provision of a buffer in this case will improve line output.