Process-oriented simulation for mixed-model assembly lines

In this paper a process-oriented simulator for assembly lines is presented. The simulator considers mixed model lines, with stochastic task times, the possibility to have parallel stations, and to consider different scheduling sequences. The simulator is a flexible supporting tool in finding solution of the assembly line balancing problem (and the optimal sequencing problem associated to it) and can be used in those algorithms and procedures where the evaluation of a fitness function (which includes some line performances indicator, such as the throughput) has to be performed several times. Different implementations of the simulator have been tested with two different packages for discrete event simulation in Java ('JavaSimulation' and 'Stochastic Simulation in Java').