A polynomial-complexity tool for evaluating the performance of structurally controlled FMS

The problem of evaluating the capacity of the structurally controlled FMS has been raised previously by us (1996). In that paper, an analytical framework for the problem, and a methodology able to provide accurate performance estimates were developed, but it was also observed that the computational complexity of the approach rendered it inapplicable to most practical situations. Here, we propose an approximating scheme for the performance evaluation of the structurally controlled FMS, which presents polynomial computational complexity, and therefore, is applicable to real-life FMSs. Initial experimentation with the approach indicates that it holds considerable promise for effective evaluation of the production capacity of these systems.