Modeling the dynamics of a multi-product manufacturing system: A real case application

In this paper, a continuous multi-product model is developed to represent the shop floor dynamics of a job shop, based on dynamic modeling and on analogies to electrical components. This approach allows the mathematical formulation of the model (state representation) and the analysis of its dynamic response via simulation. A real case application in the textile industry is presented. Thus, this research contributes in the following ways: first, proposing a model that is suitable for multi-product systems with intricate job shop configuration and that is generalizable to various manufacturing systems; second, presenting a real case application of the proposed model. As practical implications, it provides production managers and practitioners with a prescriptive decision model that considers the dynamics of the production systems and the interdependencies of the decisions made in the shop floor. From the academic perspective, it contributes to the existing literature by presenting the application of an alternative modeling methodology, and by extending this methodology to manufacturing systems with multiple products, instead of single-product systems. Continuous models such as the one proposed can benefit from a wide range of tools for system analysis and control design, come from control theory. Although these tools have been extensively applied to model the supply chain, applications devoted to the plant level seem to be neglected over the past years. This model also aims to contribute in this direction.