Using flow ratio analysis and discrete event simulation to design a medium volume production facility

This paper presents the analysis used to support the design and installation of a new production line for an electromechanical device known as a line replaceable unit (LRU). Due to the complexity of the LRU, extensive inspection and test requirements, and the high costs associated with facilities, labor and rework, management had a great interest in exploring a variety of contingencies and operating policies prior to factory implementation. At the outset, estimates of system parameters and required resource levels were obtained with a new technique known as flow ratio analysis. These were used to define a number of alternate scenarios, and to initialize the simulation model which provided the foundation for the full scale study. The results point up the value of the flow ratio technique, and demonstrate the critical role that simulation can play in the planning stages of a project.