Operations planning for kanbans between two adjacent workstations

A production line with a single-stage kanban system which works between two adjacent workstations is considered here. Raw materials are replenished at the first workstation and they are processed through the workstations resulting in the final product for dispatching to the next demanding point. The kanban which transports the work-in-processes from the first station to the second works as a circulating mechanism between the stations. A study is pursued to determine the number of kanbans between two workstations for a varying (linear) demand pattern. This decision eventually determines batch sizes of the kanbans, the dispatching time intervals, and the schedule for production. Results of the model are demonstrated to show the operational mechanism of the kanbans between the workstations.