E2M/Polytron is currently assisting one of our Fortune 100 customers in the pharmaceutical industry to optimize the design of a new manufacturing line prior to its installation. We designed a model with a Microsoft Excel interface so that the customer could optimize how they intend to use the line. Through the interface they will be able to optimize the system by changing values such as machine mean time between failure (MTBF), mean time to repair (MTTR), machine speeds, and conveyor speeds. Also included in the Excel interface is the ability to turn accumulation on and off. This allows the customer to assess the effect that adding accumulation has on the line’s throughput. Through the analysis of the line the customer is able to discern how potential enhancements will improve the performance of the line. They determine this by optimizing the break schedule, accumulation, and layout to maximize the throughput of the line.