Reliability of multistage production systems controlled by automated visual inspection

A probability model that examines the reliability of a failure-prone multistage production process controlled by a mechanism consisting of multiple cameras (one for each stage) and a single processor which is shared among all the stages (one stage at a time) is presented. The control functions for each stage and the system characteristics are presented. A computational formula for the steady-state reliability of such a production process is developed. The steps in the computation are for a specific system which serves as a numerical example. Model applications include performance evaluation of automated control mechanisms under various combinations of system parameter values and switching schedules