Abstract
An Expert System for Capacity Planning and consideration of tradeoffs in discrete Manufacturing is applied to a fabrication facility. A description of the system and its functionality is given first, followed by presentation and discussion of results from a case study. Tradeoffs between capacity, utilization, cost, lead time and work-in-process are considered, and the implication of different technologies, throughput and product mix are demonstrated. The system proves its value as a powerful tool for understanding the critical points of a given manufacturing environment, suggesting improvements and corrective actions for better productivity of an existing facility and helping in the design of a new facility.
