Parametric factory simulation for the responsive enterprise

Farr, Richard; Tannock, James; Holm, Sofia

Abstract

Simulation offers a powerful way to investigate the boundaries of what can be achieved by a manufacturing system, demonstrating the impact of schedules and policy decisions such as the placement of buffers and the size of safety stocks. Unfortunately, the construction of factory models at the necessary level of detail is a time-consuming process, requiring specialist skills.

This paper describes a novel approach to the representation of logistic control within a simulated factory, and its implementation in a study of a business unit at Volvo Aero in Trollha?ttan, Sweden. Several innovative features were built into the model, making it possible for users who were not simulation experts to explore a broad range of scenarios. The resulting model architecture, as described in this paper, takes simulation out of the computer lab and places it in the hands of managers, as an enabler of the responsive enterprise.

Citation

Farr, R., Tannock, J., & Holm, S. (2007). Parametric factory simulation for the responsive enterprise.

• Conference Name: 4th International Conference on Responsive Manufacturing (ICRM 2007)
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2007
• Deposit Date: Aug 5, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 5, 2014
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: Parametric simulation, logistic control, kanban, aerospace
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1017387