Analytical analysis of a generic assembly system

The assembly of components is a key element in manufacturing facilities. Nevertheless, literature analyzing the dynamic behavior remains scarce. The paper narrows this gap by studying a generic first-come first-serve assembly system, consisting of two generally distributed component input streams. The field of probability theory serves as a means to derive good approximations for the waiting time of the components to form a kit and the inter-arrival time of the kits at the assembly station. Apart from providing insight in generally accepted managerial principles, this analysis also constitutes a required step in obtaining the performance of an open queuing network including assemblies.