OPERATIONS PLANNING FOR KANBANS BETWEEN
TWO ADJACENT WORKSTATIONS
ABSTRACT: A production line with a single-stage kanban
system which works between two adjacent workstations is
considered here. Raw materials are replenished at the first
workstation and they are processed through the
workstations resulting in the final product for dispatching
to the next demanding point. The kanban which transports
the work-in-processes from the first station to the second
works as a circulating mechanism between the stations. A
study is pursued to determine the number of kanbans
between two workstations for a varying (linear) demand
pattern. This decision eventually determines batch sizes of
the kanbans, the dispatching time intervals, and the
schedule for production. Results of the model are
demonstrated to show the operational mechanism of the
kanbans between the workstations.