A simulation analysis of the vehicle axle and spring assembly lines

A discrete event simulation model was developed to represent the current vehicle axle and spring assembly lines and understand their dynamics for an automotive company in need of production increase to accommodate expected demand growth. The aim of this study is to provide viable manufacturing plans to improve productivity, and we propose several alternative system component changes to reach the desired throughput level as well as determine the corresponding optimal system configurations. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to measure the effects of various factors such as arrival rate, batch size, and operator resource on throughput, and consequently to find the best scenario. The results of the proposed simulation model demonstrated potential impacts on production capacity increase by considering multiple operational factors while applying feasible improvement strategies.