Buffer allocation and required availability in a transfer line with unreliable machines

In this paper we study a system of n machines in series. Each pair of subse quent machines is separated by a finite buffer. The machines are unreliable and can break down. In such a production system, the allocation of buffer space between successive stages in the system is of capital importance sinc e it has a significant influence on the availability of the system. We exam ine how the allocation of buffers can be expressed as a non-linear optimisa tion problem in which the total cost of installing and using the buffers is minimised. Some of the assumptions of this approximation model are also ex amined. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.