Feedback release control of Bernoulli production lines

Performance analysis, improvement, and design of production systems have been studied extensively for over 60 years. In contrast, feedback control of production systems has received significantly less attention. This paper is devoted to one of the problems in this area: feedback control of parts release in production systems. This problem is of considerable practical importance for both push- and pull-systems. In push-systems, this problem arises when it is necessary to limit the residence time of parts within the production line. In pull-systems, feedback control of release is often imposed by kanbans; to ensure that the varying customer demand is satisfied in an efficient manner, the number of kanbans must be selected dynamically so that the desired performance is achieved with the smallest possible level of finished goods inventory. Few analytical methods for solving these problems are available in the current literature. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to develop a theory for analysis and design of feedback release control in push- and pull production lines with Bernoulli machines.