System Dynamics Model of an Assembly System in Ramp-Up – Focusing Inspections

This paper presents a System Dynamics (SD) model of an assembly system in ramp-up with special focus on inspections. The time in-between product development and stable series production is characterized by dynamically changing conditions referring to the product, processes and the assembly system’s organization. Thus, SD serves as an excellent method to model the system’s behavior within the ramp-up period. Based on a qualitative derivation of the system variables an explanation of their interconnection is conducted in order to be able to model the system quantitatively and thereafter to simulate effects which parametrical variations have on the superior ramp-up target time to volume. A special focus is set on the role of inspections as they verify the product quality which is a precondition for achieving an as short as possible time to volume. So far the analysis of inspections has not been in the focus of the existing research on ramp-up.