Free-transfer lines with unreliable assembly stations and small buffers

This paper describes the arrangement in series of assembly stations that are linked by storage places. The distribution of the stations and of the number of places in the stocks affects the efficiency of the assembly. The results of the continuous model show that grouping stations by two or three does not improve the effectiveness of the line when the number of places is limited. On the other hand, the discrete synchronous model proved that it is profitable to group stations when a low capacity of storage is experienced; these results have been confirmed using a simulation software which processes the components in a discrete manner.