Performance evaluation of a flexible manufacturing cell with random multiproduct feedback flow

This paper presents a predictive model for describing the productive capacity of special multiproduct manufacturing cells with stochastic activity times and random feedback flow. Two cases are considered, single-product type batch production and multiproduct type interleaved production. The major performance measures which are evaluated are the total batch processing time, number of product recycles and the distribution of interdeparture times for each product type. Expressions are given for the distribution functions, means and variances of these quantities, for any distribution of manufacturing time. Operational analysis of a flexible manufacturing cell is discussed with an illustration of the Oscillatory phenomenon of the probability density function of its total batch time.