Blocking systems with zero buffers are typical for (semi-)process industries. They have not only th characteristics of limited buffer systems, but if buffer sizes are zero, the equipment is often used as temporary storage. This cause the effective utilization to be higher than the natural...

The assessment of uninterrupted traffic flow is traditionally based on empirical methods. We develop some analytic queueing models based on traffic counts and we model the behavior of traffic flows as a function of some of the most relevant determinants. These analytic models allow for...

It is generally known that the mechanism of overlapping operations allows to reduce the average job lead times in a production system. However, a machine may remain idle between two consecutive sublots belonging to the same job, due to a difference between its own setup and processing times and...

In this paper we analyze how a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Scanner can be managed more efficiently, simultaneously improving patient comfort (in terms of total time spent in the system) and increasing availability in case of emergency calls. By means of a superposition approach, all relevant data...

Recticel Bedding Hulshout is a mattress manufacturer. The company intends to build a new packing line as a final step in their production lay-out redesign project. The objective of this study consists in answering the question whether, given the production volumes, the mix of mattresses (without...

We propose a supporting framework for the material control system Paired-cell Overlapping Loops of Cards with Authorization (POLCA), which combines the advantages of push systems and pull systems. In our load based version of the POLCA control system, we rely on a multiproduct, multi-machine...

The main purpose of this paper is twofold. First, the relationship between flow and speed is assessed by means of simulation. Second, the effectiveness of some queueing based traffic models with state dependency is tested by comparing their outcomes to the recorded simulation-based results. It...

We study the modeling of a generic assembly system with infinite buffers. This open system consists of two input processes which deliver one component for assembly. The component interarrival times are identical continuously and uniformly distributed. A kit contains one unit of each component...