Steady-state performance analysis of serial transfer lines subject to machine and buffer failure

• Published in: IEEE transactions on automatic control Vol. 44; no. 2; pp. 319 - 325
• Main Authors: Lipset, R., Van Til, R.P., Sengupta, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.02.1999; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Subjects: Algorithms; Analytical models; Applied sciences; Assembly; Automatic control; Automobiles; Buffer storage; Buffers; Computer science; control theory; systems; Control theory. Systems; Discrete event systems; Exact sciences and technology; Failure; Manufacturing systems; Mathematical analysis; Mechanical devices; Modelling and identification; Performance analysis; Process control. Computer integrated manufacturing; Production; Serials; Steady-state; Systems engineering and theory; Transfer lines; Production system; Decomposition method; Production line; Performance analysis; Reliability; Modeling; Steady state; Discrete event system
• ISSN: 0018-9286
• DOI: 10.1109/9.746258

In modern automated production lines, it is common to connect adjacent machines with buffers. Since these buffers are mechanical devices, they are prone to failure. Previous research concerning the steady-state analytical modeling of serial transfer lines assumed that buffers are completely reliable. The paper considers the unreliable buffer and presents a model of the serial transfer line incorporating this concept. A decomposition technique is developed for the general serial transfer line with unreliable buffers, and an algorithm for computing the solution of the model is presented.