PERFORMANCE OF SINGLE MODULAR MANUFACTURING UNIT WITH QUEING MODEL BASED MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEM USING AGVS

摘要

Manufacturers throughout the world are facing new demands like greater product variety, shorter product life cycles, lower unit costs and higher product quality. To respond to variation in style, quantities, and quick responses, manufacturers are beginning to experiment with new manufacturing concepts. One of the most popular concepts is Modular Manufacturing. This paper concerns the study of a relatively simple manufacturing module consisting of various machines depending upon the product to be made. Since the system is modular, it is easier to construct models quickly with a variety of alternate configurations. Modular manufacturing requires a versatile means of moving parts and components from one point to another within the production process which is performed by an Automated Guided Vehicle System (AGVS). Experiments are conducted to evaluate the efficiency and other parameters practically. An attempt is made to balance the system and predict its throughput using an analytic model. Then the system is simulated in detail using Show Flow Simulation and compared with experimental results.