In recent years, production plants have shifted from the production of large quantities of the same product to more flexible production systems that respond to changing consumer needs. Flexibility in production requires both the ability to handle a wide variety of products and the agility to change production plans. Although these goals have been difficult to achieve with conventional technology, linear systems have been touted as a solution. The use of a linear system decreases downtime and increases production per unit area, thereby increasing productivity.
Satoshi Imai (Sat,) studied this question.