Economic Assessment of Pig Meat Processing and Cutting Production by Simulation

Abstract

This paper presents the development and adoption of a discrete event simulation model of a pig meat-packing plant located in Navarre (Spain). The simulation model was developed to represent all the tasks and pig meat cuts production performed in the plant and implemented in ExtendSim™ 9.2. The development was incremental as the whole model was made of different sub-models focused in different products as for example ham, ribbon or sirloin. The main utility of the proposed model was the economic assessment of pig meat processing and cutting production. Pietrain breed presented more homogeneity and a better performance than Large White breed at equal price of the same products. In addition, even the ham is the most important cut, the loin and the bacon showed the best relative economic value with 52–53 % and 44–45 %, respectively, depending on the breed.

Automated design space exploration for poultry processing systems using discrete-event simulation

“…Simulation allows the capabilities of potential designs to be evaluated early in the design process, across a range of production scenarios. Bruzzone and Longo [6], Penazzi et al [7], and Plà-Aragonés et al [9] show how simulation can be used to evaluate the performance of a food processing system across a range of production scenarios. Owens and Levary [5], Fujii et al [11], and Gao et al [13] demonstrate how simulation can be used to compare alternative designs in the design process of food processing systems.…”

“…Discrete-event simulation is used in Plà-Aragonés et al [9] to examine alternative processing strategies and to improve production planning for a pig meat packaging facility. Comparing discrete-event simulation to deterministic or stationary methods, Plà-Aragonés et al find that discreteevent simulation better captures plant behavior.…”