Changes in production control required for untended operation of a flexible manufacturing cell

This article examines and improves the production control system of a firm that wants to operate its flexible manufacturing cell (FMC) in an untended third shift. The FMC consists of a machining centre, a pallet storage, a rail-guided transport vehicle for pallets and a clamping/unclamping station. The current production control system of the firm shows several deficiencies with respect to operating the FMC efficiently. This article proposes changes in the current production control hierarchy and introduces some new methods to solve major production control problems. The study illustrates the interaction between quantitative tools, organisational decisions and behavioural considerations. The approaches are general and can be used in other environments.     

Effects of maintenance policies on the productivity of flexible manufacturing cells

Flexible manufacturing cells (FMCs) often operate with increasing failure rate due to extensive utilization and wear-outs of equipment. While maintenance plans can eliminate wear-out failures, random failures are still unavoidable. This paper discusses a procedure that combines simulation and analytical models to analyze the effects of corrective, preventive, and opportunistic maintenance policies on productivity of a flexible manufacturing cell. The production output rate of an FMC, which is a function of availability, is determined under different maintenance policies and mean time between failures.