Introduction

Abstract

Manufacturing systems that produce few product types in large numbers often consist of a set of serially arranged work stations. Each product unit flows through the system along the same pre-specified path and each work station performs the same operation on the arriving product units over and over again. Since the design of the manufacturing system is determined by the flow of the produced objects, the systems are called flow lines. This design principle is based on a high degree of division of labor and leads to economics of scale. However, due to the division of labor, problems in one part of the system can easily have negative effects on other parts of the system. These problems can lead to disruptions in the flow of material as the amount of material between any two adjacent work stations is usually limited. For this reason, the system has to be seen as a whole, i.e. a systems perspective is required when deciding about design and control of a flow line. The major decisions that affect the profitability of a flow line are made during the design phase, i.e. before the system is actually installed. These effects have to be taken into account early in the design process of the manufacturing system.