Proposed in this thesis is a systematic procedure for selecting 'modeling tools' suitable the analyses of manufacturing systems. The modeling tools considered in the study are Event graph, Petri nets, Network diagram (SLAM), and IDEF tools. 'Modeling domain' is classified according to the type of manufacturing system and the objective of modeling: Manufacturing system is classified into the job shop type, batch production type, and mass-production type; the objective of modeling is grouped into function analysis, determination of configuration, and operation logic control.
For each type of manufacturing system under a specific modeling objective, a set of 'modeling requirement' is idenfied. In order to make the selection process a systematic one, four 'selection criteria' have been identified. They are completeness (i.e, modeling fidelity), ease of use, readability, and code-to ability. By applying the 'selection criteria' to each set of 'modeling requirements,' for specific 'modeling domain, ' modeling tools suitable for analysis are selected.
The main purpose of the study is to aid a modeling practitioner in selecting a suitable modeling tool. The study also aims to identify a need for the development of new modeling tools.
