An overview of tradeoff curve analysis in the design of manufacturing systems

Uncertainty in manufacturing systems has long been the source of managerial complexity. In this paper the authors discuss the impact of different sources of uncertainty and present a methodology to assess their impact on system behavior. They introduce the concept of tradeoff curves as a characteristic of a manufacturing system and illustrate their use to make decisions concerning the amount and type of capacity necessary to manage the system efficiently, to assess the impact of products arrival and processing uncertainties, as well as the consequences of changes in throughput and product mix. The methodology is illustrated with an example derived from an actual application in the semiconductor industry.