The
semi-automated chrome plating production line is similar to a flow-shop in that
one job can be processed in only one machine; one machine cannot process more
than one job at a time. The following are the characteristics of the production
line:
- Jobs are scheduled in batches
- Each batch is immersed in a chrome plating bath
for a constant amount of time (24 minutes)
- One rack after the other is immersed into the
chrome plating bath
So, the
processing time for each batch is exactly 24 minutes. It seems that this leaves
us very little room to manipulate anything. But what we are modeling is the
setup and tear-down processes that are going on in the back-end
- Loading – manual clamping of parts onto a rack
that is immersed
- Unloading – removal of parts once they have
plated
- Inspection – to identify defectives
These 3 activities
need to be completed within the time window constraint of 24 minutes, but in
what order. The order of activities and equations needed to simulate the system
are given below.
THE MODEL