A methodology for designing flexible cellular manufacturing systems

Ronald Askin, Hassan M. Selim, Asoo J. Vakharia

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

85 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cell formation in cellular manufacturing deals with the identification of machines that can be grouped to create manufacturing cells and the identification of part families to be processed within each cell. Dynamic and random variations in part demands can negatively impact cell performance by creating unstable machine utilizations. The purpose of this paper is to introduce and illustrate an interactive cell formation method that can be used to design 'flexible' cells. Flexibility in this context refers to routing flexibility (i.e., the ability for the cellular system to process parts within multiple cells) and demand flexibility (i.e., the ability of the cell system to respond quickly to changes in part demand and part mix). Through an experimental analysis using multiple data sets, we also validate the procedure and provide guidelines for parameter settings depending upon the type of flexibility of interest to the user. Finally, trade-offs and interdependences between alternative types of flexibility in the context of cellular systems are illustrated.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)599-610
Number of pages12
JournalIIE Transactions (Institute of Industrial Engineers)
Volume29
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - 1997

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

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