Cement Production Line Performance Improvement: A Simulation Study

One of the major challenges in manufacturing systems is addressing bottlenecks. Managers and engineers strive to find methods to eliminate bottlenecks and reduce wait times in production lines. In this study, a simulation model of a manufacturing system was analyzed, focusing on bottlenecks and underutilized machinery. Validated simulation inputs were collected to build a model for optimizing the production line. The objective was to simulate the current production line to understand and analyze its bottlenecks and propose improvement solutions. The simulation model was developed using Arena software, revealing several bottleneck stations affecting production line efficiency. A model incorporating different parts of the production line and inventory management of cement was proposed to address this problem. Various improvement steps were analyzed using the simulation model to eliminate bottlenecks and enhance production line performance. As a result, the daily production capacity of the rotary kiln increased from 3699 to 8200 tons, more than doubling the current output.