Performance evaluation of multi-stage manufacturing systems operating under feedback and feedforward quality control loops

In manufacturing, the essential product characteristics are often created through multiple stages. Coupling product data obtained through inspection and controllers based on decision models with prediction capabilities enables quality control loops, enhancing both feedback and feedforward mechanisms. This paper proposes a methodology to merge the formulation of feedback and feedforward quality control loops into a performance evaluation model for multi-stage manufacturing systems. This approach evaluates quality control loop impacts system-wide, aiding in configuring and reconfiguring quality gates. A case study illustrates how allocating inspection technologies and efficient decision models improves overall system performance through effective feedback and feedforward control loops. (c) 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of CIRP. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)