Title: The performance of unpaced serial production lines with unequal coefficients of variation of processing times

Authors: Sabry Shaaban, Sarah Hudson

Addresses: Department of Finance and Operations, ESC Rennes School of Business, 2 Rue Robert d'Arbrissel, 35065 Rennes, France. ' Department of Finance and Operations, ESC Rennes School of Business, 2 Rue Robert d'Arbrissel, 35065 Rennes, France

Abstract: In this paper, the behaviour of non-automated production lines in terms of their service time coefficients of variation is studied. Results from the simulation of such lines under their steady-state mode of operation with varied buffer storage sizes, number of stations, imbalance configurations and a range of coefficients of variation are presented. Extensive statistical analysis of the output shows that the best pattern (a bowl-shaped arrangement) gives simultaneously lower idle times and lower average buffer levels than those of a balanced line. Predictive formulae and design factor impacts on the endogenous variables are also presented.

Keywords: unbalanced production lines; unpaced production lines; coefficients of variation; idle times; ABL; average buffer levels; bowl phenomenon; simulation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCAT.2009.023618

International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology, 2009 Vol.34 No.2, pp.122 - 128

Published online: 03 Mar 2009 *

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