Designing multi-component flexible manpower lines.

The use of multi-component flexible manpower lines (MCFMLs) is seen as one method of enabling component suppliers to deliver the cost reductions and increased flexibility of service levels expected by automotive manufacturers. This paper describes research undertaken to develop an advanced genetic algorithm optimization/simulation toolkit that is capable of automatically generating optimized MCFML designs. In order to deal effectively with the high levels of product and process variability that exist within MCFMLs research is reported that is aimed at developing methods for measuring the effects of variability on individual workstations along such lines. (author abst.)