Changes in production control required for untended operation of a flexible manufacturing cell

Abstract

This article examines and improves the production control system of a firm that wants to operate its flexible manufacturing cell (FMC) in an untended third shift. The FMC consists of a machining centre, a pallet storage, a rail-guided transport vehicle for pallets and a clamping/unclamping station. The current production control system of the firm shows several deficiencies with respect to operating the FMC efficiently. This article proposes changes in the current production control hierarchy and introduces some new methods to solve major production control problems. The study illustrates the interaction between quantitative tools, organisational decisions and behavioural considerations. The approaches are general and can be used in other environments.

Keywords:

• FMC scheduling
• production planning
• three-shift operation

Acknowledgements

We thank the editor and the referees for their suggestions that improved the article presentation. We also thank Mr Harry Euverman, process planner at Stork Plastics Machinery B.V., for the discussions and useful information about the FMC and the company.