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Usually in system dynamics we take the "high road" of a macro-level, strategic view on business systems and accordingly we will very often be content with modeling a production line using a →DelayN where production time is distributed around some mean duration. In this example we take a meso-level perspective of modeling a simple assembly line that borders on discrete-event modeling—albeit not yet focussing on single entities.

In modeling an assembly line we here use SimpleConveyor and Oven—being dynamical stocks—with inherent (hidden) dynamics: The SimpleConveyor is like a conveyor belt that transports stuff from one stock to another using a fixed, exact amount of time and preserving order of entry. The Oven represents an idealized batch process, where a processor is loaded, then closes its doors to process the loaded material in a fixed amount of time, to then unload it into the next stage.

Acknowledgments

The example is taken from Peter Junglas [18, pp. 247-252].

• Modified diagram and simulation plots in v2.0.0.