Automotive assembly plants work on a pre-planned job sequence in order to optimize the performance of the assembly line. However, the job sequence becomes scrambled due to factors such as plant layout, process design, variability and uncertainty. Assembly plants use either a mix-bank or an automatic storage and retrieval system to regenerate the sequence before final assembly. A mix-bank, which is a set of parallel lanes, is the most common method used in the automotive industry to reconstruct the sequence. Only the first vehicles on the lanes are available for sequencing in a mix-bank set-up. Hence the lane selection policy and the lane configuration of a mix-bank play crucial roles in recreating the sequence. This thesis addresses the problem of identifying a superior lane selection policy for a mix-bank re-sequencing area. Simulation models of a re-sequencing area are used to evaluate lane selection policies. Varying the lane configurations and the nature of sequence tests the effectiveness of the selection policies.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:MSSTATE/oai:scholarsjunction.msstate.edu:td-1660 |
| Date | 11 December 2004 |
| Creators | Subramanian, Arunkumar |
| Publisher | Scholars Junction |
| Source Sets | Mississippi State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Theses and Dissertations |
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