Abstract
Computer Server Industry is characterized by extensive test processes to ensure high quality and reliability of the servers. Computer Server Industry production systems utilize Configure-To-Order (CTO), also known as fabrication/fulfillment, strategy which provides an effective balance between demand and supply by synchronizing the flow of materials, equipment, and labor throughout the production process. In the fabrication stage, components or sub-assemblies are produced, tested, and assembled based on a projected production plan. They are then kept in stock until an actual order is received from a customer. In the fulfillment stage, final products are assembled according to actual customer orders. Assignment of products to test cells during the fulfillment stage can be a challenging task due to high quality requirement and limited resources. Current practices tend to assign products to test cells based on a specific criterion such as on-time shipment or maximum test cell occupancy, which can result in higher levels of energy consumption or delayed orders. This paper introduces a Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) approach to effectively assign servers to test cells considering a multi-objective reward function that combines multiple criteria. A proposed simulation model serves as the environment with which the DRL agent interacts, learning a policy that develops a test schedule for the products. The proposed approach is tested with a case study from a high-end server manufacturing environment. Sensitivity analysis is conducted to analyze the impact of the different values of the system’s variables on its performance.
