Modeling assembly systems with repetitive operations

Two methods are presented to model assembly systems where repetitive operations are integrated in one single machine following strictly planned sequences. The first method introduces an aggregate machine to approximate the original repetitive assembly machine so that the aggregate machine and the original machine have equivalent behaviors on processing time, machine reliability and maintainability. The second method transforms the repetitive assembly operations into a series of synchronized assembly/disassembly models so that the traditional assembly model can be applied to analyze such repetitive assembly machines. We systematically compare the accuracy of those two new models with that of a simulation model.