Fuzzy work-in-process inventory control of unreliable manufacturing systems

We consider single and multiple part type production lines and networks with ®nite bu€ers and unreliable machines. Three fuzzy control modules, namely, line, assembly, and disassembly controller, are developed. The objective is to keep the work-in-process (WIP) inventory and cycle time at low levels, along with high machine utilization and throughput. This is achieved by adjusting the processing rate of each production stage so that work ̄ow is balanced and the extreme events of machine starving or blocking are reduced. The approach is extensively tested via simulation. After a series of simulation runs, it has been observed that the proposed approach outranks other control policies in keeping the WIP inventory low. Ó 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.