24--SENSITIVITY ANALYSES ON RESOURCE UTILIZATION IN COTTON-SPINNING.

This paper discusses the findings of sensitivity analyses carried out on machine and manpower utilization in cotton-spinning. The flow line is characterized by a series of stages with a different number of parallel machines at each stage. The sensitivity of the flow line to changes in the machine- and manpower-resource levels under given technological and operational factors is measured in terms of resource-utilization rates. Fluctuations in utilization rates are explained by blocking and starving delays occurring in the system as a result of distortions in the balance of the flow line when resource-usage levels are varied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]