Manufacturing flow line systems: a review of models and analytical results

Abstract

The most important models and results of the manufacturing flow line literature are described. These include the major classes of models (asynchronous, synchronous, and continuous); the major features (blocking, processing times, failures and repairs); the major properties (conservation of flow, flow rate-idle time, reversibility, and others); and the relationships among different models. Exact and approximate methods for obtaining quantitative measures of performance are also reviewed. The exact methods are appropriate for small systems. The approximate methods, which are the only means available for large systems, are generally based on decomposition, and make use of the exact methods for small systems. Extensions are briefly discussed. Directions for future research are suggested.

A general theory on spectral properties of state-homogeneous finite-state quasi-birth–death processes

“…The matrix Q for the QBDs has the block tridiagonal form as depicted in the equation (1). The steady-state probability vector, π-towards which our effort is geared, -is known to satisfy the following equations.…”

“…A follow-up work will demonstrate how the spectral theory depicted here can be applied to specific instances of QBDs. This application will concentrate on models of production lines, which have been studied extensively by many scholars due to the importance of the subject [1]. The suitability of QBDs to model production lines is illustrated in another paper by the same authors [3].…”

Performance analysis of multi-server tandem queues with finite buffers and blocking

“…This approach is treated in Perros' book [11] and in the survey of Dallery and Gershwin [3]. Our approximation method follows this approach.…”

“…Queueing networks with finite buffers have been studied extensively in the literature; see, e.g., Dallery and Gershwin [3] and Perros [11] and the references therein. Most studies, however, consider singleserver models.…”

“…These methods, however, assume exponential service times. An excellent survey on the analysis of manufacturing flow lines with finite buffers is presented by Dallery and Gershwin [3].…”