Documentation

Adding Inline Buffers Between Stages

Adding Inline Buffers Between Stages — 54.1% efficiency over 90 days, 70,113 pallets.

Constraint-Level track · step 4 of 4. This model is the converter topology with three inline buffers added.

At a glance

Experiment Multi Run
Duration 90 days
System efficiency 54.1%
Production 70,113 pallets
Output unit pallets

What this model is

This model adds three inline Buffers between the last three stages. Inline buffers decouple short interrupts from downstream starvation — but system OEE is still 54.1%, same as the no-buffer version. Why? Because the bottleneck is the Filler's own interrupt, not downstream starvation. Buffers can't help there.

The line

Node Type Detail
Bulk Storage Buffer ∞ supply
Filler Converter 100/min
Capper Constraint 100/min · 1 interrupt
Buffer 1 Buffer inline
Labeler Constraint 100/min · 1 interrupt
Buffer 2 Buffer inline
Case Packer Converter 10/min
Buffer 3 Buffer inline
Palletizer Converter 1/min
Warehouse Buffer ∞ capacity

Converter-model topology plus three inline buffers (b3/b4/b5) · OEE 54.1% (unchanged — buffers can't fix a bottleneck at the source) · 70,113 pallets

Experiments this model carries

Questions it answers

  • Ask about when buffers do help, and when they don't.

The same topology on the other track

Buffer Options — LEDS runs this structure against LEDS-level interrupt data. It reports 54.3% efficiency against 54.1% here — the throughput prediction barely moves. What changes is what the model can tell you about the cause.

Open it

This model ships with ReliaSim and runs in the browser sandbox — no install required. Open + Buffer Options in the sandbox.

Every figure on this page is the published result for the model as it ships. Open it and re-run to reproduce.