Simulation modeling for designing and evaluating a new flexible manufacturing system. Case study: Cylinder gas industry

摘要

The production utilization and costs reduction are critical factors to be considered in a highly competitive environment, especially when the demand of variety of products has been increasing gradually. Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) is designed to attain the key of cost effective production because it is a good combination between variety and productivity. FMS is defined as an integrated, computer controlled complex of automated material handling devices. Correspondingly, the cost for constructing the FMS is positively correlated with its flexibility. For that reason, the design of FMS requires an intensive work on designing, planning and operating.The objective of this thesis is to study and evaluate the Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) by simulation modeling. Furthermore, the experiment and analysis of production performance measures which are inclusive of cost, machine utilizations, production rates, and inventory levels, help the company studying the system and avoiding a potential future problem before implementing a new system.The methodology used in this study is simulation modelling which is presented as a tool that can capture the complexities of the FMS. The auxiliary use of the advanced simulation tool available in the ARENA software allows mimicking the designed system as well as providing an environment in which experiment of the system can be performed. By analysing various possibilities, the simulation model is able to lead to a high performing "Advanced planning and Scheduling" instrument, which attempts to provide for all contingencies of production system's rate. Excessively, simulation can help to find the optimal solution so that the production costs are minimized and the service level rate is ensured to be respected.As a result, the utilization of the system with different operation strategies are presented as well as the service level and the holding cost under each scenario. The potential bottlenecks of the system are analysed from the simulation reports. In addition, the optimal solution for the buffer stock level is given based on the current demand rate.Last but not least, another significant contribution of the study is to interpret the simulation and simulation optimization technique that will enable the management to make better decisions.