Queueing network models for analysis of nonstationary manufacturing systems

Abstract

Queueing and queueing network models have been extensively employed for the performance analysis of manufacturing systems. They have enjoyed successful applications in rapid modelling for system design and performance evaluation of operational plans. In this paper, we briefly review literature on significant queuing network models developed and applied to the analysis of manufacturing systems. Previous work has focused almost exclusively on static environments of various types including open and closed networks for serial and general systems with various attributes such as unreliable machines, general arrival and service distributions, finite buffers and controlled work-in-process levels. As many systems experience dynamic demand and time-dependent resource availability, we propose a framework for the analysis of manufacturing systems under dynamic conditions. Numerical validation of this framework against simulation estimates is performed for realistic sized flowshop and jobshop instances.