Quantifying the Impact of Inspection Processes on Production Lines through Stochastic Discrete-Event Simulation Modeling

Inspection processes are becoming more and more popular beyond the manufacturing industry to ensure product quality. Implementing inspection systems in multistage production lines brings many benefits in productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction. However, quantifying the changes necessary to adapt the production to these systems is analytically complicated, and the tools available lack the flexibility to visualize all the inspection strategies available. This paper proposed a discrete-event simulation model that relies on probabilistic defect propagation to quantify the impact on productivity, quality, and material supply at the introduction of inspection processes in a multistage production line. The quantification follows lean manufacturing principles, providing from quite basic quantity and time elements to more comprehensive key performance indicators. The flexibility of discrete-event simulation allows for customized manufacturing and inspection topologies and variability in the tasks and inspection systems used. The model is validated in two common manufacturing scenarios, and the method to analyze the cost-effectiveness of implementing inspection processes is discussed.

Multiobjective optimization of buffer capacity allocation in multiproduct unreliable production lines using improved adaptive NSGA-II algorithm

Buffer capacity allocation plays a key role in the design of production lines. By means of polymorphism analysis on production capacity and capability, we investigate the buffer allocation problem in multistage production lines with unreliable machines. The allocated buffers simultaneously maximize the system theoretical production rate and minimize the system state entropy. A mathematical model for buffer capacity optimization was established and optimized using an extended vector universal generating function (UGF) and an improved adaptive nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II). The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method were verified by applying the model to a production line of engine heads.

Identification of Problem Criteria within the Framework of Product Manufacturing Optimization

The article represents the initial stage of the thesis on a topic of increasing a processing accuracy and reducing operating costs for multi-part manufacturing. Numerical control machines are the objects of investigation. This work is aimed to determine the criteria for the problem of couplings production in multistage production at the enterprise. The analysis of the coupling production system is carried out by the “black box” modeling method. Input and output data of production are also described. A list of criteria for formation of possibilities of products‘ manufacture optimization is received. Keywords: system engineering, life cycle, CNC machine, manufacturing optimization, production, problem criteria, system approach, black box model