Öz
This article addresses the challenges of estimating production capacity
and time utilization problem in a sequential process plant. A framework and
mathematical model are presented to aid the analysis and understanding of the
proposed solution. A set of constraints is provided in order to specify the
requirements for production capacity and time utilization planning in a
sequential process plant. In order to ascertain the performance of the
framework, the mathematical models derived are tested using an existing
designed process plant and the results obtained from the evaluation are also presented.
The proposed model generates the utilized time for the process plant per batch
and also the production capacity of the process plant as well as the production
rates of individual machines in the process plant. Application of the model to
an existing process plant demonstrates that the addition of buffer storage to store
work in progress materials in a mono product sequential process plant will
increase the production rate of the plant but the production rate of the
machines in the plant remains constant. Also, the addition of buffer storage
will increase the time utilized by the process plant to complete its operation
per batch.cess plant and the results obtained
from the evaluation are also presented. The proposed model generates the
utilized time for the process plant per batch and also the production capacity
of the process plant as well as the production rates of individual machines in
the process plant. The application of this model to an existing process plant
demonstrates that the introduction of buffer for work in progress in a mono
product sequential process plant will increase the production rate of the plant
as a whole but the production rate of the machines in the plant remains
constant. Also, the addition of buffer storage will increase the time utilized
by the process plant per batch.