The use of period batch control (PBC) in the implosive industries

Period batch control (PBC) is a just-in-time (JIT) production control system of the flow control, single cycle type. It was developed in the UK before the Second World War, by the late R. J. Gigli, who installed it in 30 different factories and used it to regulate the manufacture of Spitfire fighter aircraft for the Battle of Britain. Implosive industries are those—such as foundries, glass works, spinning mills and potteries, among others—which produce a wide variety of different products from a very small number of material items. The paper shows how PBC is used in implosive industries, and explains why it is normally the best method to adopt in such factories.