Analysis of an assembly line by mixed integer programming and discrete event-based simulation

Since the appearance of computers, engineers recognized their potential. Due to this fact, engineers are utilizing computer usage during their daily tasks. When it comes to analysis, simulation is one of the most valuable tools an engineer can apply. In this paper a mixed integer programming-based description and a discrete event-based model is presented. The mathematical approach is used for rough checking, while the more detailed event-based simulation is used to examine the effects of certain parameters of the assembly cell. Based on the results, the bottleneck of the line and the possibly over-capacitated buffers were identified. Furthermore, a worker regrouping strategy is determined with the help of the models.