Improving productivity of a multi-product machining line at a motorcycle manufacturing plant
本文通过案例研究，将摩托车制造厂的多产品变速箱壳体加工线简化为两阶段伯努利线模型，利用马尔可夫链估计系统吞吐量，并通过数值实验分析提高机器效率、调整需求和改变装载策略对生产率的影响，为工厂工程师和管理者提供量化工具。
This paper introduces a case study to improve productivity of a multi-product transmission case machining line at a motorcycle manufacturing plant. First, the manufacturing process is introduced to characterise the production flow. Through structural modelling, such a process is simplified through aggregations and transformed into a two-stage Bernoulli line model with split dedicated machines and finite buffers. Using Markov chain analysis, the system throughput can be estimated. The results are validated by plant data. To improve system productivity, through numerical experiments, we investigate the impacts of increasing machine efficiency, varying demands and implementing different loading policies. Such a study provides a quantitative tool for plant engineers and managers to improve production operations.