Using Design of Experiments and Simulation Modeling to Study the Facility Layout for a Server Assembly Process

This research focused on using design of experiments (DoE) and simulation modeling to optimize the facility layout in a server assembly line, while introducing a new product. The critical factors that impact the performance metrics of cycle time, work-in-process and throughput were identified by using DoE principles. Subsequently, simulation modeling was used to evaluate the various what-if scenarios for determining the optimal physical location of the key operations in the server fabrication process. The factors identified by DoE, such as distances between operations, batch sizes, frequency of transactions, transportation types and resource utilizations were studied closely for the feasibility of the re-layout scenarios. The performance measures and results from the simulation models were then used to develop the layout for the server assembly process.