Cellular manufacturing systems simulation: Application in an automotive industry

In a developing and globalizing world, companies that want to increasingly continue their production in competitive environment aim to develop and improve themselves continuously. In order to be successful in their sectors and to compete with their rivals, companies are always working for the best quality, price, on time delivery and after sales services. Mass production or discrete production is decisive on plant layout for companies that want to increase power of competitive level. Plant layout is so effective on flexibility and productivity of production. Nowadays, companies that have discrete manufacturing use cellular production system, which are type of layout that balances strong sides of layout by product and layout by process. In this thesis, production concept and types are explained and cellular production is examined in detail. In the literature, studies on simulation of cellular production systems have been investigated. In a company serving in the automotive sector which has a discrete production type and a settlement according to the process, a simulation model showing the possible changes in annual production numbers is established by creating alternative cells according to product types. Outputs of the established simulation model were interpreted by analyzing. Keywords: Cell Design, Cellular Production System, Simulation