This note formulates an assignment problem for obtaining optimal level schedules for mixed-model assembly lines in JIT production systems. The problem was formulated as a quadratic integer programming problem in a recent paper by Miltenburg (1989) where, however, only enumerative algorithms and...

We consider the scheduling problem of cyclic production in a bufferless dual-gripper robot cell processing a family of identical parts. The objective is to find an optimal sequence of robot moves so as to maximize the long-run average throughput rate of the cell. While there has been a...

Flexible robotic cells combine the capabilities of robotic flow shops with those of flexible manufacturing systems. In an m-machine flexible cell, each part visits each machine in the same order. However, the m operations can be performed in any order, and each machine can be configured to...

This paper investigates a decentralized assembly system that consists of one manufacturer and multiple suppliers who produce the complementary components. In a single selling season, the manufacturer initially sets a vendor inventory liability period (VILP) to control the suppliers' delivery...

The optimal production control problem of deterministic pull flow lines with multiple part types is considered in this paper. The last machine is assumed to be the bottleneck. The objective is to minimize the total inventory and backlog costs over time. We give an optimal production policy and...

The paper is concerned with the problem of optimal production planning in deterministic pull flow lines with multiple products. The objective is to specify the production policy that minimizes the total inventory and backlog costs overtime. Assuming constant product demands and non-decreasing...

Flexible transfer lines or mixed-model assembly lines are capable of diversified small-lot production due to negligible switch-over costs. With these lines, it is possible to implement just-in-time (JIT) production, which involves producing only the necessary parts in the necessary quantities at...

This paper is concerned with an asymptotic analysis of hierarchical production planning in a stochastic manufacturing system consisting of machines that are subject to breakdown and repair. The system produces a single product whose rate of demand over time is constant. The problem is formulated...