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Design and control of agile automated CONWIP production lines

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Listed:
  • Wallace J. Hopp
  • Seyed M.R. Iravani
  • Biying Shou
  • Robert Lien

Abstract

In this article, we study the design and control of manufacturing cells with a mix of manual and automated equipment, operating under a CONWIP pull protocol, and staffed by a single agile (cross‐trained) worker. For a three‐station line with one automated station, we fully characterize the structure of the optimal control policy for the worker and show that it is a static priority policy. Using analytical models and extensive simulation experiments, we also evaluate the effectiveness of practical heuristic control policies and provide managerial insights on automation configuration design of the line. This characterization of the worker control policy enables us to develop managerial insights into the design issues of how best to locate and concentrate automation in the line. Finally, we show that, in addition to ease of control and greater design flexibility, the CONWIP protocol also offers higher efficiency and robustness than does the push protocol. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 2009

Suggested Citation

  • Wallace J. Hopp & Seyed M.R. Iravani & Biying Shou & Robert Lien, 2009. "Design and control of agile automated CONWIP production lines," Naval Research Logistics (NRL), John Wiley & Sons, vol. 56(1), pages 42-56, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:navres:v:56:y:2009:i:1:p:42-56
    DOI: 10.1002/nav.20325
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Wallace J. Hopp & Seyed M. R. Iravani & Biying Shou, 2005. "Serial Agile Production Systems with Automation," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 53(5), pages 852-866, October.
    2. Sennott, Linn I. & Van Oyen, Mark P. & Iravani, Seyed M.R., 2006. "Optimal dynamic assignment of a flexible worker on an open production line with specialists," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 170(2), pages 541-566, April.
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