Modelling and simulation of a flexible manufacturing system with variable production ratios

Abstract A flexible manufacturing system (FMS) is an integrated, computer-controlled configuration of automated material handling devices and numerically controlled machine tools that can simultaneously process medium-sized volumes of a variety of part types. This paper addresses the loading problem in an FMS with variable production ratios. A simulation model is developed for investigating the system performance while minimizing the workload unbalance. It is shown that the developed approach is quite efficient and yields reliable results.