Abstract
A closed queueing network model was constructed to model a Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) consisting of a loading/unloading station, multiserver workstations and a material handling system. The effects of loading/unloading time and transfer time on the system utilization were analysed through this model. A relationship between the mean loading/unloading time and the number of loading/unloading devices, and that between the mean transfer time and the number of transfer vehicles were derived so that the decrease in the system utilization incurred by loading/unloading operation and transfer be smaller than 5%. The range of the number of pallets was also specified so that these relationships hold.
