Author_Institution :
Toluca Engine Plant, Gen. Motors Corp., Toluca, Mexico
Abstract :
In the evaluation of a material handling system, multiple factors should be considered, including the plant´s facilities, the machinery, the material handling equipment, and of course, the people involved. Simulation techniques can be effectively used in all the phases of this process in order to understand the behavior of manufacturing systems, from the material handling concept definition throughout the system´s final implementation In this paper, an automated material handling system for a cylinder block machining line is proposed and evaluated by means of discrete event simulation using the ProModel simulator. Initially, the machining line is modeled with manual material handling to get an estimate of the true line capacity. Then the proposed conveyor system is modeled, and the systems are compared by means of confidence intervals. The results revealed that the automated material handling system causes a slight decrease in the system throughput, while gaining the benefits of a Just in Time based system
Keywords :
discrete event simulation; machining; materials handling; production control; production engineering computing; Just in Time based system; ProModel simulator; automated material handling system; cylinder block machining line; discrete event simulation; machinery; machining line; manufacturing systems; material handling equipment; performance evaluation; simulation; Discrete event simulation; Engine cylinders; Floors; Machinery; Machining; Manufacturing processes; Manufacturing systems; Materials handling; Materials handling equipment; Throughput;
