Sw. Flanders et Wj. Davis, SCHEDULING A FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM WITH TOOLING CONSTRAINTS -AN ACTUAL CASE-STUDY, Interfaces, 25(2), 1995, pp. 42-54
Citations number
9
Categorie Soggetti
Management,"Operatione Research & Management Science
Material handling and the provision of supporting resources, particula
rly tools, in flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs) can constrain prod
uction. To improve the productivity for an existing FMS, we first deve
loped a simulation model that included constraints arising from materi
al handling and tool management. Detailed simulations of the FMS showe
d that a simple set of heuristic rules could produce several alternati
ve schedules of nearly optimum performance. They also showed that when
the flow of tooling was considered the FMS was operating near or over
capacity. The goal of the study-to generate slack production time for
the manufacture of additional parts-was unachievable. Clearly compani
es must consider the constraints arising from material handling and th
e flow of supporting resources in scheduling, yet these constraints ha
ve seldom been considered in simulations of FMSs.