[go: up one dir, main page]
More Web Proxy on the site http://driver.im/ Skip to main content
Log in

Unreliable Transfer Lines: Decomposition/Aggregation and Optimization

  • Published:
Annals of Operations Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Complexity has been a long standing obstacle to efficient buffer assignment in transfer lines. For fixed buffer sizes, an approximate transfer line decomposition/aggregation algorithm is developed and its ability to predict line performance is demonstrated via Monte-Carlo simulations. It equates the line with a collection of isolated, unreliable multi-state machines with recursively related statistical parameters. For scalability enhancement, state merging is used to reduce the number of machine states from up to 6 down to 2. An efficient dynamic programming based buffering optimization algorithm which minimizes a combined measure of storage and backlog costs in the transfer line is then presented. Numerical results and comparisons with alternative algorithms are reported.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
£29.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (United Kingdom)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akella, R. and P.R. Kumar. (1986). "Optimal Control of Production Rate in a Failure Prone Manufacturing System." IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control 31(2), 116–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bai, S.X. and S.B. Gershwin. (1995). "Scheduling Manufacturing Systems withWork-in-Process Inventory Control: Single Part-Type Systems." IIE Transactions 27, 599–607.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bielecki, T. and P.R. Kumar. (1988). "Optimality of Zero-Inventory Policies for Unreliable Manufacturing Systems." Operations Research 36(4), 532–541.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brémaud, P., R.P. Malhamé, and L. Massoulié. (1997). "A Manufacturing System with General Stationary Failure Process: Stability and IPA of Hedging Control Policies." IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control 42(2), 155–170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buzacott, J.A. (1967). "Automatic Transfer Lines with Buffer Stocks." The International Journal of Production Research 5(3), 183–200.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caramanis, M. and G. Liberopoulos. (1992). "Perturbation Analysis for the Design of Flexible Manufacturing System Flow Controllers." Operations Research 40(6), 1107–1125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chiang, S.Y., C.T. Kuo, and S.M. Meerkov. (2000). "DT-Bottlenecks in Serial Production Lines: Theory and Application." IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation 16(5), 567–580.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dallery, Y., R. David, and X.L. Xie. (1988). "An Efficient Algorithm for Analysis of Transfer Lines with Unreliable Machine and Finite Buffers." IIE Transactions 20(3), 280–283.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dallery, Y., R. David, and X.L. Xie. (1989). "Approximate Analysis of Transfer Lines with Unreliable Machines and Finite Buffers." IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control 34(9), 943–953.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dallery, Y. and S.B. Gershwin. (1992). "Manufacturing Flow Line Systems: A Review of Models and Analytical Results." Journal of Queueing Systems 12, 3–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Di Mascolo, M., R. David, and Y. Dallery. (1991). "Modelling and Analysis of Assembly Systems with Unreliable Machine and Finite Buffers." IEE Transactions 23(4), 315–330.

    Google Scholar 

  • Di Mascolo, M., Y. Frein, and Y. Dallery. (1996). "An Analytical Method for Performance Evalution of KANBAN Controlled Production Systems." Operations Research 44(1), 50–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • El-Ferik, S. and R.P. Malhamé. (1997). "Padé Approximants for Transient Optimization of Hedging Control Policies in Manufacturing." IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control 42(4), 440–457.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gershwin, S.B. (1987). "An Efficient Decomposition Method for the Approximate Evaluation of Tandem Queues with Finite Storage Space and Blocking." Operations Research 35(2), 291–305.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gershwin, S.B. and M.H. Burman. (2000). "A Decomposition Method for Analyzing Inhomogeneous Assembly/ Disassembly Systems." Annals of Operations Research 93, 91–115.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gershwin, S.B. and J.E. Schor. (2000). "Efficient Algorithms for Buffer Space Allocation." Annals of Operations Research 93, 117–144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haurie, A., P. L'écuyer, and Ch. Van Delft. (1994). "Convergence of Stochastic Approximation Coupled with Perturbation Analysis in a Class of Manufacturing Flow Control Models." Journal of Discrete Event Dynamic Systems 4(1), 87–111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoel, P.G., S.C. Port, and C.J. Stone. (1972). Introduction to Stochastic Processes. Houghton Mifflin Company.

  • Hu, J.Q. (1995a). "Production Control for Failure-Prone Production Systems with No Backlog Permitted." IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control 40(2), 299–305.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu, J.Q. (1995b). "A Decomposition Approach to Flow Control in Tandem Production Systems." In Proceedings of the 34th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, New Orleans, LA, pp. 3140-3143.

  • Kimemia, J. and S.B. Gershwin. (1983). "An Algorithm for the Computer Control of a Flexible Manufacturing System." IIE Transactions, 353-362.

  • Liberopoulos, G. and J.-Q. Hu. (1995). "On the Ordering of Optimal Hedging Points in a Class of Manufacturing Flow Control Models." IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control 40(2), 283–286.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malhamé, R.P. (1993). "Ergodicity of Hedging Control Policies in Single-Part Multiple-State Manufacturing Systems." IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control 38(2), 340–343.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mbihi, J. (1999). "Commande à seuils critiques de la production dans un atelier de fabrication avec machines en tandem non fiables." Thèse de Ph.D., École Polytechnique de Montréal, Québec, Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mbihi, J. and R.P.Malhamé. (1998). "Optimization of a Class of Decentralized Hedging Production Policies in an Unreliable Two-Machine Flow Shop." In Proceedings of the 37th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, Tampa, Florida.

  • Mbihi, J., R.P.Malhamé, and J. Sadr. (2001). "Two Approximations as a Basis for the Optimization of Production in Long Unreliable Markovian Transfer Lines." In Zaccour, G. (ed.), Decision and Control in Management Science, Amsterdam: Kluwer, pp. 275–297.

    Google Scholar 

  • Park, T. (1993). "A Two-Phase Heuristic Algorithm for Determining Buffer Sizes of Production Lines." International Journal of Production Research 31(3), 613–631.

    Google Scholar 

  • Presman, E., S. Sethi, and Q. Zhang. (1995). "Optimal Feedback Production Planning in a Stochastic N-Machine Flowshop." Automatica 31(9), 1325–1332.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sadr, J. and P.R. Malhamé. (2001). "Decomposition/Aggregation Based Dynamic Programming Optimization of Partially Homogeneous Unreliable Transfer Lines." GERAD Technical report G-2001-44, Groupe d'études et de recherche en analyse des décisions.

  • Sadr, J. and P.R. Malhamé. (2002). "Unreliable Transfer Line Throughput Maximization." In Proceedings of the Sixth International Workshop on Discrete Event Systems (WODES), Saragoza, Spain, pp. 355-360.

  • Sethi, S.P. and Q. Zhang. (1994). Hierarchical Decision Making in Stochastic Manufacturing Systems. Birkhäuser.

  • Sevast'yanov, B.A. (1962). "Influence of Storage Bin Capacity on the Average Standstill Time of a Production Line." Teoriya Veroyatnosty i Ee Primeneniya (English transl.: Theory of Probability and Its Applications) 7(4), 429–438.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharifnia, A. (1988). "Production Control of a Manufacturing System with Multiple Machine States." IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control 33(7), 620–625.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tabe, T., R. Murumatsu, and Y. Tanaka. (1980). "Analysis of Production Ordering Quantities and Inventory Variations in a Multi-Stage Production System." International Journal of Production Research 18, 245–257.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yan, H., G. Yin, and S.X.C. Lou. (1994). "Using Stochastic Optimization to Determine Threshold Values for the Control of Unreliable Manufacturing Systems." Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications 83(3), 511–539.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yan, H., X. Yu Zhou, and G. Yin. (1999). "Approximating an Optimal Production Policy in a Continuous Flow Line: Recurrence and Asymtotic Properties." Operations Research 47(4), 535–549.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zimmern, B. (1956). "Étude de la Propagation Des Arrêts Aléatoires Dans Les Chaînes de Production." Revue de Statistique Appl. 4, 85–104.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sadr, J., Malhamé, R.P. Unreliable Transfer Lines: Decomposition/Aggregation and Optimization. Annals of Operations Research 125, 167–190 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:ANOR.0000011190.86293.c1

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:ANOR.0000011190.86293.c1

Navigation