R. Sivasubramanian et al., The effect of the drum-buffer-rope (DBR) approach on the performance of a synchronous manufacturing system (SMS), PROD PLAN C, 11(8), 2000, pp. 820-824
The main objective of any manufacturing system is to organize the resources
in a shop floor for effective transformation of raw materials into finishe
d products. Synchronous manufacturing (SM) is a manufacturing management ph
ilosophy that has a set of principles, procedures and techniques where ever
y action is evaluated in terms of a common global goal of the organization
(Seetharama et al., 1997, Production Planning and Inventory Control). A man
ufacturing system that adopts the above principle is called as synchronous
manufacturing system (SMS). In order for a manufacturing plant to achieve t
he benefits of a synchronous operation, a logistical control system that is
manageable and results in predictable performance is required. The drum-bu
ffer-rope (DBR) approach, which is a generalized system, satisfies the abov
e requirements through computer simulation. This paper focuses on the effec
t of DBR principles on the performance of a synchronous manufacturing syste
m. A case study has been taken up in a small-scale industry and analysis ha
s been carried out on the effect of the DBR approach on the performance of
the system. This work has been performed on an IBM/PC compatible system usi
ng the promodel software and C language.