Managing Bottlenecks
Conclusion
The case study demonstrates a methodology that integrates queuing theory and simulation for optimal bottleneck management. An optimal sequence for mixed mode production can be determined through simulation. The simulation experiments revealed that the proposed mixed-model approach for manual automobile systems at the case in point outperforms the conventional batch production mode. It demonstrated that bottlenecks migrate when there is a product changeover on the assembly line. The purpose of bottleneck analysis was to find the bottleneck in a production line. Different vehicles are made on the line, with the same routing but with varying processing times. This simulation model clearly demonstrated that the machine with the highest degree of utilisation does not necessarily have to be the bottleneck. When the model was simulated, one could trace the bottleneck by finding out which machine was most blocked. The machine next to this one was the bottleneck.
The paper also demonstrated that simulation can be used as a tool to determine the due dates for orders from customers through varying stop-time simulation settings. Efforts to improve manual automobile assembly lines should begin with the required takt time, and then find ways to achieve it using an optimal number of workers.
Future research will be directed towards automating the manual automobile systems to reduce makespan and improve productivity. The development of heuristics for sequencing mixed models for manual assembly systems is also an area for future research.