Improving Productivity in Manufacturing Industries by Minimizing Bottlenecks : A Simulation-Based Approach

Simulation is one of the most powerful tools available to decision makers responsible for the design and operation of complex processes and systems. It makes possible to study, analyze and evaluate situations that would not be otherwise possible. In an increasingly competitive world, simulation has become an indispensable problem-solving methodology for engineers, designers and managers. This study examines the manufacturing system involved in the production of GE-1 (tapered bush), with a view to reducing the time and bottlenecks involved in the manufacture of the same. The scope of the paper is to identify the systemic activities in workstations, identification of production bottlenecks, identification of value and non-value added activities, and identification of causes of delay. The objective of the paper is to reduce production lead time for the component GE-1 through simulation