Performance analysis and optimization of cyclic production lines

In this paper, a model of a cyclic production line is introduced and analyzed. Using Taylor series expansion, we present an approximation method for the analysis of the average steady-state throughput of cyclic production lines with unreliable machines, finite buffers and a fixed number of pallets circulating in the line. Using the approximation method, we suggest an analytic method to calculate the optimal number of pallets that maximizes the line throughput. Also, we show an absolute optimal number of pallets exists which is independent of the machine parameters.