Real-time buffer management method for DBR scheduling

This paper proposed the real-time buffer management method which extends the concept of 'buffer' by using Drum-Buffer-Rope (DBR) scheduling technique of Theory of Constraints (TOC) according to real-time information. The current DBR buffer is used to supervise ascertain whether the product in the last stage of the production process, stages managed by the buffer, has arrived. If the product has not arrived the warning sign continues to be emitted and the check action for that situation is left to the operators. The problem arises when a meaningless warning sign is emitted for too long and it affects the operators. The mechanism proposed in this paper suppresses the meaningless warnings by using the detailed schedule information provided by the on-site operators and actual result information obtained by the on-site instruments.