Manufacturing

A new serial system consists of three workstations in the following sequence: mill, deburr, and wash. There are buffers between the mill and the deburr stations and between the deburr and the wash stations. It is assumed that sufficient storage exists preceding the mill station. In addition, the wash station jams frequently and must be fixed. The line will serve two part types. The production requirements change from week to week. The data below reflect a typical week. You have been assigned the task of finding the minimum buffer space that doesn't significantly effect lead time.

Relevant data are as follows with all times in minutes:

Embellishment: In the meeting to review your work, it is suggested that the two buffers may be of different sizes but the total amount of buffer space used should not increase. Perform the appropriate simulation experiment.

Case Problem Issues

1. Discuss how arrivals to the system will be modeled.

2. Discuss how verification evidence will be obtained.

3. Discuss how validation evidence can be obtained. a. Compute the expected number of arrivals of each type. b. Compute the expected number of arrivals per hour of both types together. c. Compute the utilization of each workstation.

4. List the important performance measures.

5. What initial conditions should be used?

6. For the simulation language that you are using, discuss how to implement the initial conditions. 7. List the buffer sizes to consider in the simulation experiment and tell why these sizes were chosen.

(Embellishment) Discuss whether it is better to have more buffer space between the mill and the deburr station to avoid blocking at the front of the line or to have buffer space between the deburr and the wash stations to avoid blocking at the deburr station when the wash station jams.

Terminating experiment:             Use an end time of 168 hours.