We consider the optimal control of an assemble-to-order (ATO) system with m components, a single end-product, and n customer classes. Demand from each class occurs continuously over time according to a Poisson process. Components are produced in separate production facilities, each with a finite production rate and exponentially distributed production times. Components can be stocked ahead of d...

Many natural proteins self-assemble, either to fulfill their biological function or as part of a pathogenic process. Biological assembly phenomena such as amyloidogenesis, domain swapping and symmetric oligomerization are inspiring new strategies for designing proteins that self-assemble to form supramolecular complexes. Recent advances include the design of novel proteins that assemble into fi...

As technology drives components smaller, traditional methods of assembling these components become ever more impractical. Self-assembly is a viable solution in which the individual components autonomously organize themselves without the external guidance of a supervising agent. In this paper we look at the assembly times for various one and two dimensional objects that are assembled with square...

Foreign body aspiration in children is a life threatening event and prompt bronchoscopy and extraction is essential for their survival. During a recent paediatric airway emergency at Torbay hospital, Devon, the theatre staff were unable to assemble the paediatric bronchoscope. We therefore investigated methods to improve the efficiency and timeliness of the assembly of the paediatric bronchosco...