Manufacturing systems simulated

Manufacturing system simulations performed at the IBM Electronic Card Assembly and Test (ECAT) facility are examined to show how this approach works to improve cycle time and customer service. Simulation was used to determine what could be done in the short run to improve the throughput of a line for manufacturing high-volume token ring adaptor cards used in PCs and workstations. Sophisticated simulation models that focused on the inventory and service level performance of the ECAT plant rather than its production performance were also developed. The benefits gained from these simulations are described.<>