ProcediaEngineering53(2013)509–5151877-7058©2013TheAuthors.PublishedbyElsevierLtd.Selectionandpeer-reviewunderresponsibilityoftheResearchManagement&InnovationCentre,UniversitiMalaysiaPerlisdoi:10.1016/j.proeng.2013.02.066MalaysianTechnicalUniversitiesConferenceonEngineering&Technology2012,MUCET2012Part2MechanicalAndManufacturingEngineeringProductionLine:EffectofDifferentInspectionStationAllocationUmolSyamsyulBinRakimanª*,AbdulTalibBonªªDepartmentofManagementandOperation,FacultyofTechnologyManagementandBusiness,UniversitiTunHusseinOnnMalaysia,UTHM,ParitRaja,BatuPahat86400,Johor,MalaysiaAbstractThispaperintendtoanalyzeanewproductionlineinametalstampingcompanybasedonthecomplainfromthecompanyandtrytoexplorethebetterlayoutorarrangementintheproductionlineinreflecttothecomplainedproblemandconstrainoftheprovidedofacceptthedefectandrepairinspectionpolicy.Theproductionlineisfirstbeinganalyzedinresponsetocomplainthroughcomputersimulation.Aftertheproblemhadbeenidentified,theresearchertrieddifferentalternativesintheattempttoseekforthebetterlayoutorarrangementintheproductionlineinregardoftheinspectionstationallocation.Theeffectofdifferentinspectionstationallocationlayoutisthenbeingevaluatedintermoftheproductiontime.Afterreducingthenumberofinspectionstation,interestingenough,theproductiontimedoesnotseemtodecreasebutincreased.Thisfindingcontradictstheconventionalthoughtoffewerstationsmeansshortertime.Thisfindingcouldbethefoundingbasicinthefutureresearchregardingtheallocationoftheinspectionstationfollowingcertainprovidedpolicy.Thisisalsoveryhelpfulinreallifepracticeincompanyastohelpthemimprovetheirproductiontime.©2013TheAuthors.PublishedbyElsevierLtd.Selectionand/orpeer-reviewunderresponsibilityoftheResearchManagement&InnovationCentre,UniversitiMalaysiaPerlis.Keywords:Productionline,Inspection,ProModel.1.IntroductionAccordingto[1],manufacturingcanbedefinedintwoways,onetechnologically,andtheotheroneeconomically.Manufacturinginthetechnologicaltermmeanstheapplicationofphysicalandchemicalprocessestoalterthegeometry,properties,orappearanceofagivenstartingmaterialtomakepartsorproducts.Intheeconomicterm,manufacturingmeans,thetransformationofmaterialsintoitemsofgreatervaluebymeansofoneormoreprocessingoperations.Ineasywords,manufacturingaddsvaluetothematerialbychangingitsshapeorproperties,orbycombiningitwithothermaterialsthathavebeensimilarlyaltered.Basically,thisprocessisnotaseasyasitseems.Alotofproblemscouldoccurduringthisprocesswhichrequiresalotofpreparationandconsiderationsothateverythingwillrunasitshouldbe.Twomainmethodcanbedonetoachievethisdesire,onethroughtherigorousonthefloortestscombinedwithmathematicalproblemsolving,andtheotheronethroughsimulationbytheaidofcomputersoftwarewhichwillgivethepredictiononhowwellthewholeorpartlyprocessesofmanufacturingcouldbedonetobecomparedwiththerealone.Emailaddress:serapohkampungku@yahoo.com.myAvailableonlineat©2013TheAuthors.PublishedbyElsevierLtd.Selectionandpeer-reviewunderresponsibilityoftheResearchManagement&InnovationCentre,UniversitiMalaysiaPerlis510UmolSyamsyulBinRakimanandAbdulTalibBon/ProcediaEngineering53(2013)509–5151.1.BackgroundofStudyManufacturinghasbecomepartofallhumanactivitysincealongtimeagountilitisquiteimpossibletotrackbackwhenallofthiswholeprocessstarted.Thisisbecause,humanbodyitselfisaverycomplexsystemwhichproducesalotofthingssuchasvoice,movement,ideatocreateabook,journalandthelistseemsendless.Ifwereallywanttoestablishthisentireevent,wemustfindthefirsthumanorcreaturethatliveinthisworld.Buttheproblemis,aftercenturies,scientistkeptfindingtheolderhumanbodythanthepreviousfinding.Onafocusedmanner,thehistoryofmanufacturingcanbediscoveryandinventionofmaterialsandprocessestomakethings,whilethesecondoneisthedevelopmentofthesystemsofproduction.Theeventofhumandiscoverytoinventmaterialsandprocessestomakethingsstartedseveralmillenniaago.Someoftheprocessesarethecastingprocess,hammering(forging),andgrindingwhichdatedbackmorethan6000yearsago[1].Forthisresearchpaper,thefocusistowardsthepossibleimprovementintheproductionsystemsandhowtoincreasetheproductivity.Thus,anefficientproductionlinedesignaspartofamanufacturingsystemisavitalproblemforsomecompanies[2].1.2ProblemStatements,pallets,transportationvehicles,transportroutes,operations,etc.,andtheirresultingperformance,arealmostendless.Computersimulationhasbecomeanabsolutenecessityinthedesignofpracticalsystems,andtrendtowardsbroadeningitscapabilitiesiscontinuingassystemmovetoencompass[3].Intheselectedresearchplace,thecompanywantstoimproveandincreaseitsproductioncapacity,quality,andnetprofit.Accordingtotheirexperience,theydonothaveanybottleneckontheproductionandprocurementpartofthemanufacturing.Theyarehavingproblemsintherecentlydevelopedproductionlineforanewproductrequestedbytheircustomer.Itisvisiblethattheydonotimplementtheproposedinspectionsequenceandtechniqueasintheprocessflow.Ithappenedwhetherbytheyskippeditalltogetherinallstationorjustdotheinspectionasthelaststepbeforepackagingwhilethisisnotthecaseaswhathavewrittenin