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Abstract
The CIM module FLOPAS (Flow Production Analysis System) is a knowledge-based software tool (written in COMMON LISP) for the analysis and performance evaluation of production Dow lines. The system may be used as a standalone tool for flow line designers as well as part of a knowledge-based CIM controller which includes various expert systems. The analysis techniques used are Markov-Chain analysis and knowledge-based discrete event simulation. The analysis module of FLOPAS allows the determination of workstation availabilities due to a new application of Markov-Chain Theory and offers an easy method to investigate the influence of the existence of buffers on the overall line throughput. A knowledge-based discrete event simulation (including a graphical monitor with explanation facilities for bottleneck determination) verifies the analysis results and gives further information about the influence of buffer sizes as well as other statistical results. The paper presents a complete description of the software system and shows its use by an example of a real factory application.