This project develops and theoretically formalises NExt Station Card Authorisation and Release (NESCAR), a novel card-based Manufacturing Control
System (MCS) for high-variety make-to-order (MTO) job-shop environments.
NESCAR builds on the Decentralised WIP-oriented manufacturing control (DEWIP) approach, a non-card-based decentralised MCS introduced in 2003 by
researchers at Hannover University. It extends and formalises DEWIP by integrating order release, authorisation and dispatching into a single station-based
card logic. The aim is to provide an MCS capable of reducing and stabilising lead times, lowering work-in-process (WIP), and improving service-level
performance by minimising tardiness and the percentage of tardy jobs.
Preliminary simulation studies have compared NESCAR with established MCSs, including POLCA and COBACABANA, across several MTO configurations,
such as divergent flow, convergent flow and general shop systems, under different load conditions, with and without bottlenecks. Results indicate that, for
the same throughput, NESCAR achieves significantly lower WIP levels and, consequently, shorter lead times.
The project will develop NESCAR through the following research lines:
• extensive benchmarking against MCSs such as POLCA, COBACABANA and CONWIP in different production configurations, including pure job shops,
general flow shops and assembly systems, using performance measures such as lead time, WIP, tardiness and number of tardy jobs;
• evolution of NESCAR from a card-based Material Flow Control (MFC) system into an integrated order review and release system for orders waiting to enter
production, either from direct customer orders or MRP;
• mathematical and stochastic modelling of NESCAR through approaches such as graph theory, queuing theory and Petri nets;
• development of dynamic NESCAR versions able to adjust operating parameters in real time, also using machine learning and AI techniques;
• integration of NESCAR into conventional Production Planning and Control systems, including MRP modules with dynamic planned lead times;
• development of a serious game to test NESCAR not only through simulation, but also physically using scaled-down factory models.
System (MCS) for high-variety make-to-order (MTO) job-shop environments.
NESCAR builds on the Decentralised WIP-oriented manufacturing control (DEWIP) approach, a non-card-based decentralised MCS introduced in 2003 by
researchers at Hannover University. It extends and formalises DEWIP by integrating order release, authorisation and dispatching into a single station-based
card logic. The aim is to provide an MCS capable of reducing and stabilising lead times, lowering work-in-process (WIP), and improving service-level
performance by minimising tardiness and the percentage of tardy jobs.
Preliminary simulation studies have compared NESCAR with established MCSs, including POLCA and COBACABANA, across several MTO configurations,
such as divergent flow, convergent flow and general shop systems, under different load conditions, with and without bottlenecks. Results indicate that, for
the same throughput, NESCAR achieves significantly lower WIP levels and, consequently, shorter lead times.
The project will develop NESCAR through the following research lines:
• extensive benchmarking against MCSs such as POLCA, COBACABANA and CONWIP in different production configurations, including pure job shops,
general flow shops and assembly systems, using performance measures such as lead time, WIP, tardiness and number of tardy jobs;
• evolution of NESCAR from a card-based Material Flow Control (MFC) system into an integrated order review and release system for orders waiting to enter
production, either from direct customer orders or MRP;
• mathematical and stochastic modelling of NESCAR through approaches such as graph theory, queuing theory and Petri nets;
• development of dynamic NESCAR versions able to adjust operating parameters in real time, also using machine learning and AI techniques;
• integration of NESCAR into conventional Production Planning and Control systems, including MRP modules with dynamic planned lead times;
• development of a serious game to test NESCAR not only through simulation, but also physically using scaled-down factory models.