Productivity Boundaries of Multi-technology Platforms with two Workspaces

Multi-technology platforms with two workspaces are considered to be promising production resources to enable an efficient manufacture of complex workpieces in small lot sizes. However, the advantages in terms of productivity in comparison to multi-technology platforms with a single workspace have not been quantified so far. This paper presents such a quantification approach based on dynamic discrete-event modeling of platforms with one and two workspaces. Slight variations in the configuration setup of the platforms as well as the machining of distinct part spectra are discussed. It is found that the installation of the most frequently applied technology resource in each workspace enhances the productivity of platforms with two workspaces significantly. Therefore, the advantages of multiple workspaces should be elucidated further taking into account acquisition cost and throughput time.