LAUSR

Abstract In this study, we consider the manufacturing process of cable ducts, which is one of the main manufacturing steps of the train wagon (or car) manufacturing. These ducts provide cover for electrical cables in the rail cars. Manufacturing of cable ducts involves cutting and welding of aluminum sheets in welding and cutting shops, respectively. There is a bottleneck between cutting and welding workshops due to the different production speeds and inadequate capacity planning for the operators and machines. We aim to provide solutions to decrease the cycle time in an efficient and sustainable manner through resource sharing between departments. Therefore, to efficiently use the resources and balance the workload, we examine the benefits of utilizing Cyber-Physical Production Systems (CPPS) in the manufacturing facility. The problem is simulated in ProModel based on real manufacturing data. The current manufacturing environment and the scenario in which CPPS is utilized are compared in terms of machine utilization rates and cycle time. According to the simulation results, the utilization rates of the resources are increased, and the cycle time of cable duct production is decreased once the CPPS is utilized.