Dynamic Tabu Search for Enhancing the Productivity of a Bottle Production Line

Abstract

Many industries use linear production lines, with buffers between each pair of machines for absorbing small breakdowns or other irregularities. These buffers have different thresholds for triggering the possible speeds of the machines. The goal of this study is to tune the values of these thresholds in order to enhance the productivity of the line. A simulation-optimization approach is proposed and applied to a case study involving a soft-drink plastic bottle company. We show that the production can be increased by a few pallets per day. Such results are appealing for the company, as updating these thresholds does not imply any cost.