This work focuses on internal logistics (IL), which is defined as the flows of materials inside the same business or the same plant. We center on the IL activities of a car-assembling company. The main objective is to propose simulation models' concepts that evaluate assembling lines under the IL point of view. Also, we present a real case-study based on SEAT S.A., a company in the Volkswagen group. We developed a Discrete-Event-Simulation model through the Plant Simulation software. The company set the main Key-Performance-Indicators, and these are related to the logistics flows' performance and an assembly lines' aisles utilization. Three scenarios were simulated: the company's current scenario, the introduction of autonomous automated guided vehicles, and the application of a transit flow policy. The results expose which aisles are overused, the disturbs among the logistics flows, and the logistics flows' performance, regarding the total of backorders, the trips duration, and the routes' length in terms of distances and time. Moreover, we offer a set of best practices for further applications in that field. The study was presented to the company's employees that found it interesting and appropriate.
This work aims to present a methodology to support a company in the automotive business on scheduling the jobs on its final processes. These processes are: (i) checking the final product and (ii) loading the dispatch trucks. These activities are usually found in the outbound area of any manufacturing company. The problem faced is defined as the flow shop problem with precedence constraints, release dates, and delivery times. The major objective is to minimize the latest date a client receives its products. We present a time-indexed integer mathematical model to compute feasible solutions for the presented problem. Moreover, we take advantage of the Lagrangean Relaxation procedure to compute valid lower and upper bounds. The experiments were held based on the company’s premises. As a conclusion, the results showed that the methodology proposed was able to compute feasible solutions for all the instances tested. Also, the Lagrangean Relaxation approach was able to calculate better bounds in a shorter computational time than the Mathematical problem for the more complicated instances.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.