Performance engineering of high-mix low-volume production systems

High-mix low-volume (HMLV) production systems are essential for mass customization, allowing manufacturers to meet diverse and changing customer demands. These systems need to be optimized to handle job mix fluctuations and unexpected changes like rush orders. Traditional scheduling techniques and commercial tools often fall short in addressing the complexities of HMLV manufacturing, including material changes, setup times, and job flexibility. This report identifies gaps in current approaches and proposes new methods to analyze and optimize HMLV systems. It emphasizes the importance of flexibility and introduces a performance engineering methodology using simulation models to improve efficiency and adaptability, ensuring these systems can meet mass customization needs.