GEMS (Generalized Manufacturing Simulator) Model of a Tool Joint Manufacturing System: An Industrial Application

摘要

Applications of a Generalized Manufacturing Simulator (GEMS) model of the Tool Joint Division of Hughes Tool Company, Houston, Texas, is reported. This division comprises four shops which are production lines producing a family of tool joints having similar processing requirements. Models for these multi-stage, multi-product production lines were developed using actual operating data. Separate executable models for the constituent shops can be used to study them individually in detail. The models incorporate a variety of GEMS features including order generators, attribute assignment boxes, attribute holding times, queue ordering by attribute, probabilistic output boxes, and many others which demonstrate the flexibility and modeling capabilities of GEMS and enhance its value and applicability to manufacturing situations. These models were programmed and run with user interaction to provide valuable input and familiarize the user with GEMS features. Results obtained from a simulation analysis of the division as well as those from experiments conducted on models are reported.