Performance modelling of reconfigurable assembly line

Abstract

This paper deals with the modelling and simulated performance analysis of a reconfigurable assembly line (RAL). The RAL model considered in this work has a set of in-line movable robots, which can move on a guided path to serve various workstations. Each robot in the RAL can access and serve more than one workstation by moving to their locations while satisfying the accessibility constraints. Capacity flexibility is addressed by varying the number of serving robots in the system. Error recovery flexibility is addressed by pulling out the failed robot from the assembly line for repair. The failed robot is reintroduced into assembly line after its repair. The system hardware has plug and play capabilities for ease of handling of system resources. Assumptions are made to simplify the problem as well as to highlight the specific features considered in the model. Simulation results have been presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed model.