Modeling of Assembly System Complexity and Its Application for Planning Horizon Problem

Abstract

For a more understanding about manufacturing system complexity, assembly system and its complexities are focused. The hierarchy of the assembly system is analyzed, and three kinds of primary complexities are classified and analyzed facing to different system layers. Thereinto, the static complexity is utilized to define the complexity of the manufacturing process and resources. Process complexity is defined to describe the complexity of production sequence which is defined by production planning. Then, the control complexity is the information which needs to describe the complexity of control methods. Then the process complexity is classified as static, dynamic, and real-time dynamic process complexities, which are used to describe the complexity for ideal, actual, and real-time production processes, respectively. The process complexities are applied to research the production planning effectiveness, and a method for appraising the initial planning and calculating the maximum planning horizon is presented. A case study for a weekly engine production planning is performed, and a four-day planning horizon is calculated and suggested to direct an actual engine production situation.