Modeling aircraft assembly operations

A simulation model can be a powerful tool for understanding the complex interactions of aircraft assembly operations. An accurate model helps identify the effects of resource constraints on dynamic process capacity and cycle time. To analyze these effects, the model must capture job and crew interactions at the control code level. This paper explores five aspects of developing simulation models to analyze crew operations on aircraft assembly lines: representing job precedence relationships, simulating crew members with different skill and job proficiency levels, reallocating crew members to assist ongoing jobs depicting shifts and overtime, modeling spatial constraints and crew movements in the production area.