Chain conveyors are a speeitlc type of conveyor often used in a variety of manufacturing and production applications, such as body and paint shops. These conveyors must typically interface with other types of conveyors such as cross-transfer conveyors, and also Electronics Engineers [IEEE], the Society for Computer Simulation [SCS], and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers [SME]. He serves on the editorial board of the International Journal of Industrial Engineering -Applications and Practice.

We describe the application of simulation and statistical analyses to the process improvement of a paint shop within a heavy manufacturing plant. The explicit objectives of this study were the evaluation of throughput relative to loading time, unloading time, and shift patterns, the number of carriers required to maximize this throughput, and the number of operators in the unload zone required to maximize this throughput. Results obtained from this study enabled production engineers and their managers to assure achievement of target throughput and minimize the collective cost of work-in-process plus labor costs for operators in the unload zone.