Production flow synchronisation versus buffer capacities in assembly systems

AbstrAct Purpose: The goal of the considerations carried-out in that paper is the determination of the system synchronisation conditions. Those conditions concern capacities of system buffers. The fulfilment of the developed conditions should guarantee the production flow synchronisation into the expected steady state determined by the system bottleneck. In analysed assembly system rhythmic concurrent production with wide assortment is realised. Design/methodology/approach: The considerations presented in that paper are rooted in the authority method called Requirements and Possibilities Balance Method (RPBM). The experiments in the computer simulations programmes have been carried-out within the confines of the researches. The computer simulation models of the assembly systems using Taylor II for Windows and Enterprise Dynamics have been built. Findings: There are two kinds of system buffers: the entrance buffers and the inter-resources buffers in the assembly systems. The interdependences informing about the required number of elements allocated into the system buffers in order to the production realisation during the first cycle of the system steady state has been formulated. Moreover, the minimal buffer capacities have been determined.