Open Lines with Finite Buffers
 
 

• These lines can be thought of as open lines with infinite buffers with additional constraint imposed by the limited space between some of the stations.
• The restriction of the buffer space could either be for physical reason, that is, limited space between the stations or due to logical reasons, as when implementing a Kanban system. Irrespective of the cause of the limitation, the logistical consequences are the same.
• Due to the presence of buffer limitation these lines suffer through blocking and starving, resulting in decrease in performance. With addition of enough buffers, the likelihood of blocking and starving may be reduced significantly so that the performance of these lines reach those of the open lines with infinite buffers.

 
• Example: An example that behaves like an open line.

 
• Principles: The underlying science and principles behind these lines.

 
• Diagnostic: Enter data for systems and see how it performs.

 
• Improvement Strategies: Explore options and handles existing for improving an existing line.