Dynamic optimization of manufacturing systems in automotive industries

The automotive industry faces major challenges due to volatile markets and expenses for new technologies. The dynamics of markets and future technological variety demand flexibility. A sustainable transformation strategy is indispensable for upcoming decades. The following paper presents an approach supporting both, tactical as well as strategic decision-making in volatile manufacturing environments. At first, operating costs and performance figures of manufacturing systems are calculated. In step two, a Markovian Decision Process is solved to find a cost minimal policy over planning horizons. The optimization of the manufacturing system is based on capacity adaptations and changes in process steps, suppliers, and locations.