Process planning simulation: An FMS modeling tool for engineers

Abstract

Simulation methods are effectively used to investigate design issues of a proposed flexible manufacturing system (FMS). Unfortunately, process design engineers rarely have the necessary expertise to take full advantage of simulation methodology. Process Planning Simulation (PPS) is a software package which allows engineers with virtually no simulation expertise to define FMS designs and generate the simulation code necessary to model designs of interest. PPS uses SIMAN to model process elements of an FMS, and IFPS to model the financial aspects of the system.

An interactive debugging expert system for GPSS/H simulation models

“…Unquestionably, simulation has emerged as one of the dominant tools of decision-makers in the 1980's. However, as several studies have noted, there are a number of impediments to even wider acceptance and use of simulation methodology (Ford, Bradbard, Cox and Ledbetter 1987) (Mellichamp and Wahab 1987).…”

“…Model management packages are available to assist analysts with a variety of modeling tasks including: management of data, preparation of reports and graphs, and analysis of results (Standridge 1985). Simulation code generators are being developed to relieve the analyst of the task of translating the model specification into actual coded instructions (Mellichamp and Wahab 1987) (Schroer and Ford 1987). A number of animation packages are available to provide the analyst with the capability to view simulated activity as it occurs in the model (Pegden, Miles and Diaz 1985) (Standridge 1985) (Schroer and Teoh 1986).…”