Abstract
M.Ing. (Engineering Management)
AEROSUD Aviation is a South African based manufacturer of aircraft components and assemblies. The company’s customer base includes various international Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). The organisation adopts the Theory of Constraints (ToC) manufacturing methodology and management focus is placed on process improvements across all aspects of the business.
The proprietary Manufacturing Execution System (MES) of AEROSUD is responsible for prioritisation of the Work In Process (WIP) complement in each manufacturing cell. In order to achieve a short term objective of achieving weekly customer demand, the system is reliant on human heuristic manipulation of production priorities as defined by a drafted Mode Of Operation (MOO).
A combination of systems engineering and ToC principles is used to develop and constrain a multi-method simulation model, aimed at identifying and analysing the effects of the current prioritisation MOO in relation to a proposed MOO for a defined WIP complement. The current MOO is defined as the baseline in the comparative analysis. The model allows for execution of multi-case scenarios under a set of controlled ToC related parameters. The analysis involves establishment of the relative effectiveness of each MOO through comparison. The multi-method model is developed with the use of the Anylogic modelling platform.
The results provide insights into optimising the facility through proposal of the most effective prioritisation MOO. Selection of an MOO that supports ToC principles allows for significant lead time reduction through a constrained manufacturing flow line. This improves organisational agility as the short term objective of satisfying customer demand is achieved through the improvement in ToC performance.