PRODUCTION SCHEDULING DURING PHASED IMPLEMENTATION OF FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING CELLS

Introduction of a new manufacturing technology is a strategic decision. The choice of a proper technology is a strategic issue but the utilization of the new technology depends on tactical and operational considerations. The costs and risks involved depend, among others, on the relative strengths of the current and new manufacturing technologies, and the way the new technology is implemented. In this paper we address strategic, tactical and operational issues as we consider a phased implementation of a Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS). Phased implementation can help by spreading the risks and costs involved over a long period of time. The experience that management gains during the phased implementation process increases the probability of a successful introduction of the new technology. The first step in this endeavor is to introduce the new technology in the form of a Flexible Manufacturing Cell (FMC) that would operate concurrently with the existing technology. We develop a procedure that allocates work load, specified by the Master Production Schedule (MPS), to the FMC as well as the conventional shop. The next step is to introduce additional FMC's and to integrate them into an FMS. We therefore extend the analysis to the case of several identical FMC's which operate in a mixed production facility with conventional machines. Computational experience with the proposed procedures is reported along with some numerical results.