Analysis of flexible manufacturing systems with priority scheduling: PMVA

A new methodology for performance analysis of flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs) with priority scheduling is presented. The analytic model developed extends the mean value analysis of closed networks of queues with multiple product types, various non-preemptive priority service disciplines, and with parallel machine stations. Performance measures derived include the expected throughput per product and per station, utilization of machines and transporters, queuing times and queue length measures for various configurations. Extensive numerical calculations have shown that the algorithm used for solving the problem converges rapidly and retains numerical stability for large models. The paper also illustrates the application of the model to a system with a mixture of FCFS and HOL disciplines which gives insights into various priority assignment policies in FMSs. Special attention was given to the problem of scheduling the robot carriers (transporters).