Optimal Work-in-Process Control for a Closed Multistage Production System with Machine Preference

Abstract

-In this work, we expose a closed loop production system which have great similarity with the Kanban system as the Work In-Process (WIP) is constant (CONWIP). This system can suppose more than one machine in every stage with a limited capacity buffer. We consider also that there is a preference for a machine usage in each stage. We use a Closed Queueing Network (CQN) with a repetitive blocking mechanism to model this system. In a first place, we derive the routings to machines in the same stage when we have a preference for a machine on another. In a second place, we look for the optimal WIP to keep in this system by exploiting the Maximum Entropy Method (MEM) for the resolution of the CQN. We present some numerical results on a simple two stage production system which holds the same number of batches looping. Interesting perspectives for the development of the presented model are looked over.