Performance evaluation of an automated material handling system for a machining line using simulation

In the evaluation of a material handling system, multiple factors should be considered, including the plant´s facilities, the machinery, the material handling equipment, and of course, the people involved. Simulation techniques can be effectively used in all the phases of this process in order to understand the behavior of manufacturing systems, from the material handling concept definition throughout the system´s final implementation In this paper, an automated material handling system for a cylinder block machining line is proposed and evaluated by means of discrete event simulation using the ProModel simulator. Initially, the machining line is modeled with manual material handling to get an estimate of the true line capacity. Then the proposed conveyor system is modeled, and the systems are compared by means of confidence intervals. The results revealed that the automated material handling system causes a slight decrease in the system throughput, while gaining the benefits of a Just in Time based system