Sequencing heuristic for flexible assembly systems with mixed volume production and stochastic processing times

Summary form only given. The focus of this study is the development and subsequent analysis of an efficient control policy for deployment within hybrid flexible assembly systems (FASs) functioning in a build-to-order environment. Typically, within such a production system, the product demand is a sequence of mixed-volume part types. Given the hybrid nature of the system, although parts enter and exit in a sequence, within the system however, part types may follow different paths on parallel workstations. Further, in general, processing times are stochastic and, owing to the limited process capabilities of successive processing stations, parts might well be delayed due to quality concerns or machine failures. As a result, parts could violate prescribed due dates. The authors´ focus in this paper is on the sequencing aspects of FASs, and more specifically, on a variant of the FAS class in which parallel paths exist for accommodating different families of parts produced