MODELLING OF A TRANSFER LINE AND ITS BEHAVIOURAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

This thesis deals with an approximate method to analyze the behaviour of transfer lines with K unreliable machines separated by K-1 finite storage buffers. Two important phenomena blocking and starvation, which occur as a consequence of machine failures are considered. Also lines for which all machines have the same processing time i.e homogeneous lines are considered. The behaviour of the line is approximated by a continuous flow model. For analyzing system the decomposition technique is used in which of machines are decomposed into a set of two-machine line. An algorithm is developed which provides performance parameters such as production rate and average inventory levels. Performance parameters also compared with simulated values, which shows that approximate technique is very good. The system also shows that production decreases as number of machines in line increases and the same increases when buffer size increases