Article ID: | iaor20072249 |
Country: | United States |
Volume: | 18 |
Issue: | 1 |
Start Page Number: | 1 |
End Page Number: | 27 |
Publication Date: | Jan 2006 |
Journal: | International Journal of Flexible Manufacturing Systems |
Authors: | Sinreich David, Shnits Boris |
Keywords: | statistics: data envelopment analysis, simulation: applications, scheduling |
This study presents the development of a multi-criteria control methodology for flexible manufacturing systems. The control methodology is based on a two-tier decision making mechanism. The first tier is designed to select a dominant decision criterion and a relevant scheduling rule set using a rule-based algorithm. In the second tier, using a look-ahead multi-pass simulation, a scheduling rule that best advances the selected criterion is determined. The decision making mechanism was integrated with the shop floor control module that comprises a real-time simulation model at the top control level and RapidCIM methodology at the low equipment control level. A factorial experiment was designed to analyze and evaluate the two-tier decision making mechanism and the effects that the main design parameters have on the system's performance. Next, the proposed control methodology was compared to a selected group of scheduling rules/policies using DEA. The results demonstrated the superiority of the suggested control methodology as well as its capacity to cope with a fast changing environment.