Abstract
When we develop a new flexible transfer line (FTL) that links the preceding production line with subsequent production line, it is the important design process to decide which part is input into the bay of the FTL. This paper describes the off-line production simulator called RETOP that can assist the production engineers when they develop FTL. RETOP includes if-then rules, a discrete simulator and a genetic algorithm (GA) system. The GA system automatically decides the if-then rules after many generations. We compared simulation results acquired by RETOP with one by a conventional method. Though some application examples, it is ascertained that RETOP is useful.
