Throughput assessment of mixed-model flexible transfer lines with unreliable machines

Abstract

Most of the research that has been carried out to date to analyse transfer line performance is so far limited to the mono-product systems due to the complexity associated with multi-product considerations. In this paper, we consider mixed-model flexible transfer lines manufacturing several product types. The flexible transfer line workstations are arranged in a serial configuration, interconnected by an automatic transfer mechanism, and subject to operation-dependent failures. The throughput is an important tool for measuring the performance of transfer lines, and this paper establishes a method for assessing this throughput. A general simulation model is proposed, allowing a comparison of the performance of the proposed method with those of approximate existing techniques. Numerical computations show that the proposed formulae are robust to estimate the throughput of multi-product transfer lines, and that the results are very satisfactory.