A Study of an Automatic Transfer Line System with a Sub-Line

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the behaviour of an automatic transfer line system with a sub-line in which each stage has one machine using a Markov model. In the system each machine has an unequal operation cycle time, so we observe the system state at intervals of the greatest common measure of the unequal operation cycle times. From the numerical analysis we present a split interference between main- and sub-lines which decreases the production rate. This interference is different from one presented in a series line. Furthermore, we present the effects of buffer and split probability on the production rate.