The present investigation presents a stochastic model for a flexible manufacturing system consisting of flexible machine, loading/unloading robot and an automated pallethandling device. We consider unreliable flexible manufacturing cell (FMC) wherein machine and robot operate under individual as well as common cause random failures. The pallethandling system is completely reliable. The pallet o...

Scheduling in a job-shop system is a challenging task, however it costly and time consuming. Successful implementation of automated manufacturing system highly depends on effective utilization of resource. Efficient scheduling algorithm for alternate process plan may increase the throughput rate, utilization of machine and guarantee a reasonable return of investment. In this paper, the objectiv...

In dynamic, stochastic manufacturing systems, production planners and manufacturing engineers can benefit from understanding how rescheduling strategies affect system performance. This knowledge will help these experts design and operate better manufacturing planning and control systems. This paper presents new analytical models that can predict the performance of rescheduling strategies and qu...

This paper discusses the initial efforts to implement simulation modeling as a visual management and analysis tool at an automotive foundry plant manufacturing engine blocks. The foundry process was modeled using Pro Model to identify bottlenecks and evaluate machine performance, cycle times and production data (total parts, rejects, throughput, products/hr) essential for efficient production c...

In this research paper cellular manufacturing is discussed under conditions of changing product demand. Traditional cell formation procedures ignore any changes in demand over time from product redesign and other factors. However given that in today‟s business environment, product life cycles are short, a framework is proposed that creates a multi-period cellular layout plan including cell rede...

In this study, mathematical models are developed to study and compare the operations of a fully reliable and an unreliable flexible manufacturing cell (FMC), each with a flexible machine, a loading/unloading robot, and a pallet handling system. The operation times, loading/unloading times, and material handling times by the pallet are assumed to be random. The operation of the reliable cell is ...

Market-oriented production systems generally have the characteristics of multi-product and small-batch production. Dynamic virtual cellular manufacturing create cells periodically in a planning horizon to respond changing demands flexibly quickly, thus are suitable for problems market-oriented systems. In current research, we propose dynamic cell reconfiguration framework under environment with...