Title: A Monte Carlo simulation to estimate TAGV production time in a stochastic flexible automated manufacturing system: a case study

Authors: Hamed Fazlollahtabar; Alireza Es'haghzadeh; Hamed Hajmohammadi; Ali Taheri-Ahangar

Addresses: Department of Industrial Engineering, Mazandaran University of Science and Technology, Babol, Iran ' Department of Industrial Engineering, Mazandaran University of Science and Technology, Babol, Iran ' Department of Industrial Engineering, Mazandaran University of Science and Technology, Babol, Iran ' Department of Industrial Engineering, Mazandaran University of Science and Technology, Babol, Iran

Abstract: This paper concerns with applying tandem automated guided vehicle (TAGV) configurations as material handling devices and optimising the production time considering the effective time parameters in a flexible automated manufacturing system (FAMS) using Monte Carlo simulation. Due to different configurations of TAGVs in an FAMS, the material handling activities are performed. With respect to various stochastic time parameters and the TAGV defects during material handling processes, sample data are collected and their corresponding probability distributions are fitted. Using the probability distributions, we model the TAGV material handling problem via Monte Carlo simulation. The effectiveness of the proposed model is illustrated in a case study.

Keywords: TAGV; tandem AGVs; automated guided vehicles; FMS; AMS; flexible manufacturing systems; automated manufacturing systems; Monte Carlo simulation; automated materials handling; modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISE.2012.049410

International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering, 2012 Vol.12 No.3, pp.243 - 258

Published online: 20 Dec 2014 *

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