Title :
Manufacturing systems simulated
Author :
Jayaraman, Rangarajan ; Toole, Patrick, Jr.
Author_Institution :
IBM T.J. Watson Res. Center, Yorktown Heights, NY, USA
Abstract :
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.<>
Keywords :
manufacturing data processing; production engineering computing; PCs; customer service; cycle time; digital simulation; manufacturing DP; performance; production lines; throughput; token ring adaptor cards; workstations; Assembly systems; Customer service; Electronic equipment testing; Manufacturing systems; Performance evaluation; Personal communication networks; System testing; Throughput; Token networks; Virtual manufacturing;
Journal_Title :
Spectrum, IEEE