On using continuous flow lines for performance estimation of discrete production lines

The authors explore the use of models of continuous tandem (CT) lines for performance analysis of discrete tandem (DT) production lines. They formalize the translation of input parameters and performance measures (PMs) between DT and CT lines. They show that the CT model can be represented as a generalized semi-Markov process. This leads to a concise simulation algorithm for a CT model. The authors show empirically that the CT model provides reasonable estimates for the DT line performance measures. They provide preliminary result on gradient estimation for CT models via infinitesimal perturbation analysis. The aim of this work is to provide a basis for the further exploration of CT models as a means to parameter optimization for DT lines