Analysis of a Dedicated Flexible Manufacturing System with Closed Loop Layout: A Case Study in Production of Electro-Mechanical Products

Abstract

This study concerns with a dedicated flexible manufacturing system with closed loop layout. The production system consists of different types of parts with different processing times moving on the closed loop conveyor. An analytical model is proposed to show the dynamics and interactions in the system. Since the model is nonlinear and ignores random machine failures a detailed simulation model has been developed to be able to make a proper analysis of the system. The objective is to find the best configuration in order to maximize the throughput. A number of scenarios representing different configuration settings have been evaluated and compared with respect to the objective function. Existing optimization methods and tools which are used along with simulation models have been addressed and used to find the best solution. The results have been discussed and recommendations have been made for future. © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.