Time Buffer Control System for multi-stage production lines

The Time Buffer Control System (TBCS) for coordinating multi-stage systems is introduced in this paper. The TBCS controls the release of jobs to synchronize the stages of a production line. Specifically, a set of time intervals called time buffers are adopted to delay the flow of jobs. The dynamics of the TBCS is described as well as the structural properties characterizing the policy. Numerical results are presented to evaluate the performance of a production/inventory system controlled by TBCS.