International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET), ISSN 0976 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 6340(Print), ISSN

N 0976 6359(Online) Volume 4, Issue 2, March - April (2013) IAEME AND TECHNOLOGY (IJMET)

ISSN 0976 6340 (Print) ISSN 0976 6359 (Online) Volume 4, Issue 2, March - April (2013), pp. 47-52 IAEME: www.iaeme.com/ijmet.asp Journal Impact Factor (2013): 5.7731 (Calculated by GISI) www.jifactor.com

IJMET
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SIMULATION AND OPTIMIZATION OF UNLOADING POINT OF A SUGARCANE INDUSTRY A CASE STUDY

Mr. Bhupendra Singh , Dr. Vishal Saxena
1 1 2

Student, M.Tech, Mechanical Engineering Department, IFTM University, Moradabad, India, 244001. 2 Professor & Head, Mechanical Engineering Department, IFTM University, Moradabad, India, 244001.

ABSTRACT The problem of finding the required number of unloading points in the sugarcane industry can be solved by the application of Queuing theory. This paper deals with the optimization of unloading time in continuously operating process industry such as sugarcane industry with the help of a simulation model. In this case study, the company selected, located in the northern part of India, and was facing the problem of high waiting time of trolleys. The data were collected for the inter-arrival time of trolleys arriving there and the service time of trolleys. The data were analyzed to find out the suitable probability distribution with the help of Minitab software. After fitting the suitable distribution to the data, a simulation model was developed with the help of extend simulation software keeping in mind the complexity involved in the system. The idea behind it was to model the existing system and then compare the performance of this model with the existing system to check whether it matches with the performance of the existing system or not. If it does so, it means that the model is fairly representative of the existing system. Then we varied the number of service points and the corresponding waiting time was found out which resulted in the computation of waiting cost per trolley. Having found out the waiting cost per trolley, the service time per trolley was also calculated. The cost model was then applied to get the optimum number of service points. KEYWORDS: Waiting time, service time, service points, waiting cost.

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International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET), ISSN 0976 6340(Print), ISSN 0976 6359(Online) Volume 4, Issue 2, March - April (2013) IAEME

INTRODUCTION The Company was facing the problem of high waiting time of trolleys in the queues of parking place. The average waiting time of trolleys was 15 hours. The factors responsible for the trolley detention were as follows: Uncertainty in trolley arrival, Under-utilisation of cranes or machines, No store at the place of service points, Number of queue, Lower average output. As no standard model is suitable for such industries and the complexities involved are high, some specific reliable method is needed. METHODOLOGY As the data was in haphazard form, a small program was written to sort out these data into ascending order, converting them into minute and then finding the inter-arrival time. Then these data were fed to the Minitab software to find out the suitable probability distribution. Similarly, the service time data have also been fed to the same software for the same purpose. After finding out the distribution of the inter-arrival time and service time, we tried to find out a suitable multi-server queuing model. Unfortunately, we could not find out the same, so we decided to simulate it with Extend simulation software. The idea behind it was to model the existing system, and then allow running for a long period & then compare its performance with the existing system. If the performance of the simulation model matches with the existing system, it will mean that our model is valid. Then the strategy would be to change the number of service points and measure the performance e.g. waiting time corresponding to these service points. Having found out the waiting time for different number of service points, we decided to use the cost model to find out the optimum number of service points. Strategy here is to find out the waiting cost per trolley and service cost per trolley corresponding to the different service points, thereby finding out the total cost which in turn will decide the optimum number of service points. The service points corresponding to the minimum total cost would be the optimum one. ANALYSIS Finding the probability distribution of inter-arrival time The total number of data points (inter-arrival time) = 493. By feeding the data to Minitab software, the parameters and A-D value for different possible distribution are as follows: Distribution Parameter A-D value Exponential Mean= 9.03 662.5 Weibull Shape= 0.415; scale= 2.601 28.48 Logistic Location= 3.29; scale= 7.02 72.21 Log logistic Location= 1.20; scale= 2.30 38.92 Table 1. Comparison of probability distributions for inter-arrival time. This comparison represents that the A-D value is minimum for Weibull Distribution. So the Weibull Distribution has been selected for inter-arrival time data. In other words data have been fitted to Weibull Distribution.
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International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET), ISSN 0976 6340(Print), ISSN 0976 6359(Online) Volume 4, Issue 2, March - April (2013) IAEME

Finding the probability distribution of service time The total number of data points (service time) = 64 By feeding the data to Minitab software, the parameters and A-D value for different possible distribution are as follows: Distribution Parameter A-D value Weibull Shape= 1.775; Scale= 22.025 0.42 Lognormal Location= 2.884; Scale= 0.324 1.113 Normal Mean=20.051; St. Dev =8.670 0.398 Log logistic Location= 4.133; Scale= 0.368 0.708 Logistic Location= 23.015; Scale= 4.55 0.438 Table 2. Comparison of probability distributions for service time. This comparison represents that the A-D value is minimum for Normal Distribution. So the Normal Distribution has been selected for service time data. In other words data have been fitted to Normal Distribution. MODELING OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM The model corresponding to the existing system with the help of extends simulation software i.e. model with 3 service points and its performance measurement is shown below:

Figure 1. Model of the existing system

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International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET), ISSN 0976 6340(Print), ISSN 0976 6359(Online) Volume 4, Issue 2, March - April (2013) IAEME

Performance Measurement of the Existing Model For smooth running of the simulation model, the inputs of the model are the characteristics of the distribution i.e. outputs of the Minitab software. After allowing the model i.e. system to run for 9 years, the outputs of the simulation model obtained is as follows: Average Queue length= 48 trolleys Average Waiting time = 14.15 hour Maximum Waiting time = 42.95 hour Comparison with the Performance of Existing System: The average waiting time of trolleys in the sugarcane industry of the existing system is 15 hour. The performance obtained from the simulation model is more or less similar to the performance of the existing system i.e. 14.15 hour, which reasonably confirms that our model is valid or it is true representative of the existing system. Now the strategy would be to change the number of service points in a simulation model and measure the performance i.e. waiting time corresponding to these service points. MODEL WITH 5 SERVICE POINTS For Model, figure 2 can be referred. After allowing it to run for 9 years, the outputs of the simulation model obtained is as follows: Average queue length = 4 trolley Average waiting time = 132.6 minute = 2.21hour Maximum waiting time = 12.72 hour
T STOP count d V start program L W queue prioritiser STOP down shut down a V 1 2 3 source F L W ? b select f selection STOP down shut down f 1 2 3 F L W queue STOP down prioritiser Rand d f 1 2 3 STOP A D down down STOP down T STOP down f F STOP down f 1 2 3 Rand A D down d STOP A D down d down a f b Rand A T D U S down d STOP down f plotter f down 1 2 3 random no. input Rand D down service point T U S U S f STOP down d STOP down f # Exit (4) combine f b a

T 1 2 3 Rand

U S

U S

Figure 2. Model with 5 service points

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International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET), ISSN 0976 6340(Print), ISSN 0976 6359(Online) Volume 4, Issue 2, March - April (2013) IAEME

SUMMARY OF AVERAGE WAITING TIME FOR DIFFERENT SERVICE POINTS After running the simulation model with different service points, the outputs of the simulation model obtained is shown below: 3 service point = 849.00 min. = 14.15 hr. 4 service point = 443.21 min. = 7.38 hr. 5 service point = 132.60 min. = 2.21 hr. 6 service point = 78.26 min. = 1.30 hr. COST MODEL After finding out the waiting time for different number of service points, we then use the cost model to find out the optimum number of service points. Strategy here would be to calculate the waiting cost per trolley tr and service cost per trolley corresponding to the different service points. Then the total cost is determined which in turn wi will decide the optimum number of service points. The service points corresponding to the minimum total cost would be the optimum one. Graphical Analysis The waiting cost, service cost & the total cost can be represented on the same plot as shown below:
Cost model 1200 1000

waiting cost service cost total cost

cost in Rs.

800 600 400 200 0

No. of service points

Figure 3. Total cost representation The figure 3. clearly shows that there is a point where waiting cost, service cost and total cost is minimum. This point gives the optimum number of service points. It is clear from the above graphical analysis (fig. 3) ) that the optimum number of service points is 5. RESULTS The results based on the simulation model and cost model are shown below: The optimum ptimum number of service points =5 Corresponding average waiting time of trolleys = 2.21 hr
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International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET), ISSN 0976 6340(Print), ISSN 0976 6359(Online) Volume 4, Issue 2, March - April (2013) IAEME

CONCLUSION According to the results obtained and analysis of data, it is concluded that the optimum number of service points is five, which means that there is a deficiency of two service points in the existing system of the continuously operating process industry here. To increase the service points, the selected industry needs to install a new crane machines. The approach adopted in this work is of collecting the data related to inter-arrival time of trolleys, service time of arriving trolleys, finding the suitable probability distribution of the data, developing a simulation model of the existing system, waiting time, computation of waiting cost per trolley and the resultant cost involved has been found to be useful in modeling a proposed system which enables to lower the costs involved due to waiting time. The same approach can be adopted for any such process industry which experiences losses due to excess waiting time. REFERENCES
1. Jose A. Diaz and Ileana G. Perez (2000), Simulation and optimization of sugarcane transportation in Harvest season, Proceedings of Winter Simulation Conference, pp. 1114 1117. 2. Averill M. Law & W. David Kelton (1998), Simulation and Modeling Analysis, McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York. 3. Montgomery, D.C. (1995), Introduction to Statistical Quality Control, John Wiley and Sons (Asia), Pvt. Ltd, Singapore. 4. http://www.minitab.com/products/15/demo, 20th December 2012. 5. http://dmoz.org/Science/Software/Simulation, 16th November 2012. 6. Charles E. Ebeling (University of Dayton) (2000), An Introduction to Reliability and Maintainability Engineering, McGraw-Hill Inc., New York. 7. Cosmetatos, G.P., (1974), Approximate equilibrium results for the multi-server queue (GI/M/r), Operation Research Quarterly, 25 (1974), pp.625-634. 8. http://www.xycoon.com/logistic_distribution.htm, 10th Aug. 2012. 9. http://mathstat.carleton.ca/~help/sashtml/qc/chap30/sect32.htm, 10th Aug. 2012. 10. Krishna B. Misrta (2000), Reliability Analysis and Prediction, Reliability Engineering Center (IIT Kharagpur). 11. Kishore Shridharbhai Trivedi (1998), Probability and Statistics with Reliability, Queuing and Computer Science application, Duke University, North Carolina, Prentice Hall of India, New Delhi-1. 12. Kishore Shridharbhai Trivedi (2002), Higher Engineering Mathematics, Khanna Publisher, New Delhi. 13. Toshikazu Kimura (1992), Interpolation approximations for the Mean Waiting Time in a multi-Server Queue, Journal of Operation research, Society of Japan, Vol. 35, N0. 1, pp.77 - 91. 14. R.S.Deshmukh, N.N.Bhostekar, U.V.Aswalekar and V.B.Sawant (2012), Inbound supply chain Methodology of Indian Sugar industry,International Journal of Engineering Research and applications, Vidyavardhinis College of Engineering and Technology, Vasai, pp.71-78. 15. Jose K Jacob and Dr. Shouri P.V., Application of Control Chart Based Reliability Analysis in Process Industries International Journal of Mechanical Engineering & Technology (IJMET), Volume 3, Issue 1, 2012, pp. 1 - 13, ISSN Print: 0976 6340, ISSN Online: 0976 6359.
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