PERT-BASED PARADIGM FOR MODELING ASSEMBLY OPERATIONS

This paper uses a PERT network for which operation start and finish times are approximated by mixtures of Erlang distributions as the basis of a paradigm for modeling assembly operations. Numerical examples demonstrate that the approximations improve on previously available methods and give accurate estimates in cases involving operation times that are mixtures of Erlangs, exponential, or normal. In addition, a new method of computing lower bounds on operation start times is derived; numerical tests indicate that the method gives tighter bounds than do previously available methods. The significance of the paradigm is discussed, emphasizing the improvement it makes over traditional scheduling paradigms.

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