Flexible Transfer Lines
These are systems with deterministic processing times and machine breakdowns. With respect to the type of material flow, POM Flowline Optimizer supports two types of systems:
Linear Flow Production System with Deterministic Processing Times and Machine Breakdowns
A "Flexible Transfer Line" comprises work stations with deterministic processing times. The stations are usually automated.
The processing times of the different work stations are usually different. However, the workstations may break down. Due to these breakdowns which introduce randomness into the material flow, the stations are usually decoupled with the help of buffers. The breakdown behavior of each station is defined by its mean time to failure (MTTF) and its mean time to repair (MTTR), which can be used to define a station's technical availability.
Flexible Transfer Line with Assembly Structure
POM Flowline Optimizer also has the ability to model converging material flows. In this case, workpieces are introduced into the system at different stations and move forward through subsegments of the system, until they are assembled into an aggregate workpiece which keeps on moving further.
