Evaluating the performance of a complex power and free conveyor system in a flexible manufacturing environment

This paper describes the methodology, challenges and findings from a simulation modeling and analysis project dealing with the study of a complex power & free transportation system in a flexible manufacturing environment. The system under consideration transports six car body types through different stages of the production lifecycle (including body, paint and assembly). As production levels and product mix change, the interactions between different system parameters become too complex to analyze analytically. A simulation study was undertaken to identify bottlenecks and determine/improve the capacity of the P&F system at peak demand while validating various routing rules at key decision points.