Economic manufacturing quantity model with imperfect rework and random breakdown under abort/resume policy

This paper studies the optimal production run time in an economic manufacturing quantity (EMQ) model with imperfect rework and Poisson machine breakdowns under abort/resume (A/R) control policy. In most realistic manufacturing processes, generation of defective items and random machine breakdowns are inevitable. In this study, a random defective rate is assumed and all defective items produced are reworked when regular production ends. The rework process is assumed to be imperfect. A proportion of reworked items fail during the reworking and become scrap. The system is subject to random breakdowns. The A/R inventory control policy is adopted when breakdowns occur, under such a policy, and the production of the interrupted lot will be immediately resumed when the machine is fixed and restored. Mathematical modelling is used and the integrated long-run average production-inventory cost per unit time is derived. Theorems on conditional convexity and on bounds of optimal production run times are proposed and proved. A recursive searching algorithm is developed for locating the optimal run time within the bounds, which minimizes the expected production-inventory costs. A numerical example with sensitivity analysis is provided to give insight into the operational planning and control of such a realistic production system.