ISSN:
1572-9370
Keywords:
flexible manufacturing systems
;
performance evaluation
;
discrete material handling devices
;
analytical queueing network models
;
sensitivity to service time distributions
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
Notes:
Abstract In this paper, we study job shop-like flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs) with a discrete material handling system (MHS). In such FMSs, the MHS is a critical device, the unavailability of which may induce transfer blockings of the machines. The FMS devices therefore are hierarchically structured into primary and secondary devices to manage such blocking and avoid deadlocks in these FMSs. For evaluating the quantitative steady-state performance of such FMSs, we propose an analytical queueing network model that relies on an approximate method proposed for analyzing computer systems with simultaneous possessions of resources. Such a model is obtained using the concept of passive resources and by aggregating the FMS workload data so that models are much more tractable. The analytical results are validated against discrete event simulation and shown to be very encouraging. We also show how to increase their robustness, especially under light workload conditions, by modifying an assumption of the method concerning service time distributions.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1008171031506
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