theme within Dynamics and Control

Manufacturing Networks

The Manufacturing Networks group aims to conduct research and provide education on the design and control of complex manufacturing networks. System performance regarding throughput, flow time and utilization has our main interest. The application domain is diverse, including (semiconductor) manufacturing systems, warehousing systems, but also health care and road traffic systems.

Semiconductor wafer fabrication is one of the most complex manufacturing processes. In the continuously changing environment of wafer fabrication, optimal performance of equipment and factory is extremely important, as it may save huge costs.

The yearly budget spent in health care is increasing every year. Hence, it is extremely important to (re-)design health care systems such that they can better cope with the increasing demand and become more cost-efficient, while maintaining the service provided to patients at a high level.

Traffic on high ways and urban transportation networks keeps on increasing. Broadening roads offers only a temporarily solution. Hence, new concepts are needed to better control and optimize the ever increasing traffic flows.

But how to design, control and optimize complex semiconductor manufacturing processes, hospitals, or road traffic networks? These are the driving questions in the research group on Manufacturing Networks. To address these questions, the group aims to develop new ideas, theory, efficient techniques and computational tools and to apply them in industry.

The Manufacturing Networks group aims to conduct research and provide education on the design and control of complex manufacturing networks. System performance regarding throughput, flow time and utilization has our main interest. The application domain is diverse, including (semiconductor) manufacturing systems, warehousing systems, but also health care and road traffic systems.

Semiconductor wafer fabrication is one of the most complex manufacturing processes. In the continuously changing environment of wafer fabrication, optimal performance of equipment and factory is extremely important, as it may save huge costs.

The yearly budget spent in health care is increasing every year. Hence, it is extremely important to (re-)design health care systems such that they can better cope with the increasing demand and become more cost-efficient, while maintaining the service provided to patients at a high level.

Traffic on high ways and urban transportation networks keeps on increasing. Broadening roads offers only a temporarily solution. Hence, new concepts are needed to better control and optimize the ever increasing traffic flows.

But how to design, control and optimize complex semiconductor manufacturing processes, hospitals, or road traffic networks? These are the driving questions in the research group on Manufacturing Networks. To address these questions, the group aims to develop new ideas, theory, efficient techniques and computational tools and to apply them in industry.