Control mechanisms for stable lead times

Variations in manufacturing lead times are a significant problem in industry today. Previous studies using serial lines have concentrated on deriving average lead times and maximizing throughput in particular situations. This paper tackles the issue of consistency of lead times, via the uset of a simulation model. Three different types of control mechanism are tested; the use of slack time, reactive controls and predictive controls. Results from these models are provided. The conclusion to be drawn from this research is that predictive control mechanisms are the most likely to be generally applicable.