The effects of cyclic queues on the balance of flow lines

Abstract

This paper considers a flow line with different numbers of parallel machines at each stage and discusses findings regarding the effect of cyclic queues of containers on line balance. Three types of containers for holding work-in-process following different routes are stored in the cyclic queues. The degree of line imbalance is measured by the level of starving and blocking delays occurring through the line. Stage utilization rates are taken as the measure of performance. The structure of the flow line, which occurs in the cotton spinning industry, and some features of the simulation model are also presented.