Aircraft Assembly Ramp-Up Planning Using a Hybrid Simulation-Optimization Approach

• Assembly processes have the most influencing and long-term impact on the production volume and cost in the aerospace industry. One of the most crucial factors in aircraft assembly lines design during the conceptual design phase is ramp-up planning that synchronizes the production rates at the globally dispersed facilities. Inspired by a pilot study performed with an aerospace company, this paper introduces a hybrid simulation-optimization approach for addressing an assembly production chain ramp-up problem that takes into account: (1) the interdependencies of the ramp-up profiles between final assembly lines and its upstream lines; (2) workforce planning with various learning curves; (3) inter-plant buffer and lead-time optimization, in the problem formulation. The approach supports the optimization of the ramp-up profile that minimizes the times the aircraft assemblies stay in the buffers and simultaneously attains zero backlog. It also generates the required simulation-optimization data for supporting the decision-making activities in the industrialization projects. 

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Maskinteknik -- Produktionsteknik, arbetsvetenskap och ergonomi (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Mechanical Engineering -- Production Engineering, Human Work Science and Ergonomics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Aerospace industry

Aircraft

Assembly machines

Conceptual design

Curve fitting

Decision making

Aerospace company

Aircraft assemblies

Conceptual design phase

Hybrid simulation optimizations

Problem formulation

Production volumes

Simulation optimization

Workforce planning

Assembly

VF-KDO

VF-KDO

Production and Automation Engineering

Produktion och automatiseringsteknik

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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