Impact of delays on performance of semi-automated flexible manufacturing systems

The paper presents the study of the impact of review period delay on performance of a Semi Automated Flexible Manufacturing System. The purpose of this work is to evaluate various design alternatives to such a system in presence of these delays. Two design scenarios have been investigated. The Routing Flexibility is considered as the key design parameter in one scenario, whereas the Machine Flexibility is considered as the key design parameter in the other scenario. For both these scenarios, a discrete-event simulation model is developed. The most commonly used part scheduling and dispatching rules are incorporated in the simulation model. The performance measure evaluated is Make Span Time (MST). The experimental results show the levels of Routing and Machine flexibilities that are optimum considering the presence of delays in the system. © 2011, Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management.