Pallet-Layer Batching to Reduce Changeover Losses on a High-Mix Polyvinyl Chloride Fittings Packing Line: A Replenishment-Band Rule and Simulation Study

Lokesh Ramesh

Citation: Lokesh Ramesh, "Pallet-Layer Batching to Reduce Changeover Losses on a High-Mix Polyvinyl Chloride Fittings Packing Line: A Replenishment-Band Rule and Simulation Study", Universal Library of Innovative Research and Studies, Volume 03, Issue 04.

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

In polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe-fittings manufacturing, and similar high-mix, make-to-stock industries, packing lines often run under minimum–maximum (min–max) control. The production batch of each stock-keeping unit (SKU) is set implicitly by the difference between its maximum level and its reorder point. Set without reference to the unit load, these replenishment bands are often a fraction of a pallet, which multiplies changeovers. This study formalizes a pallet-layer batching (PLB) rule that rounds each band to a whole-layer unit load under a changeover-frequency ceiling (t) and re-sets the control levels under a safety-stock retention floor (f). Master data for the 304 SKUs of a packing line in a PVC pipe-fittings plant with more than 6,000 SKUs were evaluated by finite-capacity Monte Carlo simulation against the existing levels, manual layer rounding, the economic order quantity, a monthly fixed cycle and a cost-optimal menu selection. The existing levels committed 70% of scheduled time to changeovers. PLB (t = 1.5, f = 0.7) reduced changeover time to 55 h per month (12.8% of scheduled time), 63% below manual layer rounding, with a 100% fill rate, 2.1% more inventory and a total changeover and holding cost within 1.5% of the cost-optimal policy, without requiring cost data.


Keywords: Changeover, Lot Sizing, Monte Carlo Simulation, Overall Equipment Effectiveness, Polyvinyl Chloride Pipe Fittings.

Download doi https://doi.org/10.70315/uloap.ulirs.2026.0304006