Modeling an AGV Automobile Body-Framing System

General Motors of Canada is undertaking a multimillion-dollar modernization of its Oshawa, Ontario assembly plant. Automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) and a substantial amount of robotics and other automation will be used in the body-framing area. We developed a computer simulation model to estimate the minimum number of AGVs required to meet reliably the minimum targetted output. We found the framing system could produce 20 percent more cars per shift, but this increase beyond the target would require acquisition of 70 percent more AGVs. We also found that the system output was relatively insensitive to the cycle time of the automation cells and to the failure rates of three critical process stations.