A Process Oriented Manufacturing System Simulation to Measure the Effect of Shop Control Factors

The objective of this paper is to develop a framework for comparing job shop control policies through simulation analysis. A process based simulation model is developed that uses an object oriented data structure. This paper argues that inventory in a job shop should be divided into three categories, and each category's value would be a more useful performance measure for comparing alternate control policies. An experimental design is presented for determining the appropriate shop control rules that combines the major aspects of shop control decisions. The simulation model is flexible and allows specification of an y number of work stations and job types. The model can accommodate both static and dynamic job processing schemes. The model also outlines statistical procedures to compare alternative shop control policies and provides a hierarchical procedure for selecting these rules. The model's applicability is illustrated by testing some shop control rules in a benchmark job shop.