ABSTRACT
Manufacturing operations, for a particular batch or group of workpieces, are frequently characterized by a series of repetitive, sequential and simultaneous events that are performed in the same order from one part to the next. In addition, each of the workpieces generally experiences approximately the same environmental conditions during the manufacturing operations. Because of this similarity in fabrication cycles and the relative uniformity of the operating conditions, the end result is a group of finished workpieces which exhibit similar characteristics or attributes. Some examples of manufacturing activities typical of this type of situation include making a batch of 25,000 light bulbs, manufacturing automobiles, filling each of 10,000 bags with 15 marbles, or building VCR cameras.
