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AbstractThis paper describes a case study of analysis and optimization of the facility layout in a manufacturing cell
using a systematic search method and a Quest computer simulation model with graphical representation of the
manufacturing processes. The simulation model objective was to obtain Layout design to achieve a high productivity in the
flexible manufacturing system (FMS), to determine bottleneck locations and what the optimal batch size should be. The
Quest software proved to be a powerful tool in assessing what changes should be made to a manufacturing cell before
incurring manufacturing improvements and/or performing actual capital investments. The aim of this study is to get
an understanding of the cell and its behaviour regarding production and to use the simulation software to change,
analyse and improve the cell.
Keywords simulation, Delmia Quest, facility layout, inventory, costing.
I. INTRODUCTION
In todays fast paced world of manufacturing system, everything changes fast and new challenges require new
solution, which should be more universal, flexible and provide more possibilities to react to the continuous changes. The
situation of simulation modelling solutions and tools are effectively used to address new issues and challenges these
which are more flexible, feasible and provide seamless integration of various simulation approaches. Discrete event
simulation has been one of the most valuable technologies for assisting in decision evaluation in simulation and
modelling. Simulation can be used in many areas such as automatic control, logistics, mechanics and production. In this
study, simulation refers to production simulations. Production is a wide area and many different software systems exist to
assist in the production. Using simulation gives a better possibility to early on in the project determine the total
investment cost but also to answer questions such as cost for running and productivity of the system. Different solutions
can be compared and the best alternative can be decided. Simulation can reduce the time for development and
installation. Simulation also provides fewer disturbances in the start up of the production. Quest can be used to simulate
and get data for everything related to production systems, such as buffers, status, queues, production times and so on. A
correct built-up simulation can provide answers to many questions such as, where to set ordering points, number of
operators needed, number of parts needed, what happens when a machine breaks or if one operator is sick and so on.
II. SIMULATION IN MANUFACTURING CELLS
A. Manufacturing cell
Manufacturing cell is an important part of manufacturing system. It can not only meet the demand of market for multivariety and low-volume production, but also adapt to the rapid changes of market and so improve the systems flexibility.
Therefore, more and more researchers at home and abroad are paying attention to it. So far, there have already been indepth research and fruitful achievements about the design of manufacturing cell. The traditional design methods put
emphasis on the selection of equipment and further optimization of block layout. In current years, genetic algorithm has
been introduced into the developing of manufacturing cell by more and more researchers. However, this method usually
focuses on the optimal group of facilities. Queuing theory, also called stochastic service theory, is a subject that concerns
and solves the congestion resulting from stochastic factors. It was applied to the study of manufacturing system in 60s
last century. To design a manufacturing cell based on queuing theory, we can build various of models to calculate those
involved parameters of servers (e.g. the number of servers, the optimal productivity) and then we choose equipment or
determine their running conditions according to these data. As a result, we get the manufacturing unit that is relatively
proper and satisfying [19].
B. Simulation
Simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time. It involves the generation of
an artificial history of a system and the observation of that artificial history to draw inferences concerning the operating
characteristics of the real system.
Discrete-event simulation is a collection of events that happen in chronological order and change the systems state.
The state of the system (or part of it) is changed instantly when an event happens. Discrete-event simulation models are
used to study how the system works during the period of observation.
Discrete-event simulation models are commonly used in the industry for the following purposes:
- Capacity calculations.
- Analyzing throughput and lead times.
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Fig. 1 Parts
Sources, the entities that create parts and release them into the simulation; sinks, the entities that remove parts from
the model.
Fig. 2 Source
Buffers, entities used to represent the locations where parts are stored or where they queue to get access to other
Fig. 4 Machines
The inputs for the machines are the parts representing the activities to do. In QUEST, each real task has its own
corresponding part.
- Labor is required by the processes defined for the machines
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Fig. 3 Buffers
Fig. 5 Labors
Sink, collect the processed parts for their exit from the model.
Fig. 6 Sink
Quest provides three-dimensional simulation environment for the analysis of production process flow and production
efficiency. The Quest model must be established before simulation and analysis. The following three steps are basic steps
to establish a Quest model. Firstly, three-dimensional geometrical model of production resources object such as
processing equipment, logistics equipment and operator must be established, making production line in virtual
environment similar to real production line. Quest contains initial model of common production equipment and logistics
equipment, such as processing equipment, buffer station, feed station, AGV, crane, conveyor, labor and so on. Geometric
model should be placed in three-dimensional space according to workshop layout, which achieves virtual physical
modelling of the entire workshop. Secondly, object behavior, technological process and system operation rules of
production resources should be defined. The object behavior refers to the loading, processing, and unloading behaves of
the processing equipment. Logical order of workpiece is defined by technological process of manufacturing system,
making independent device in the system connected into a whole process logical [10], [11]. System operation rules can
ensure the normal operation of the simulation model and avoid conflict in the system. Finally, production line is
simulated based its model, real-time utilization and average utilization of the key equipment and labors can be obtained.
The data of logistics production beat and stacking situation can also be seen clearly. According to these data, the
bottlenecks in the production line can be found and then the layout of the production line and logistics scheme can be
optimized [5].
E. SCL and BCL
The conceptual manufacturing layout used the modelling languages, which are Simulation Control Language (SCL)
and Batch Control Language (BCL). Manufacturing design layout is developed by composing the control language and
synthesizing the structures: control, data, and operational. The modelling language is based on a set of object classes that
simulates the behaviour of a real system component.
The SCL provides modelling rules that govern the action and all aspects of element in order to meet the unique needs
of designed model and show determination of the outline structure in a fabrication manufacturing layout. The SCL logic
tracking functions are compiled and appended into the file-based by associating the modular procedural programs with
specific resource entities [13].
SCL code is a programming language similar to the more famous PASCAL. Thanks to the written logics and
procedures the developed model now presents the following advantages:
It is able to builds a suboptimal solution through a new constructive heuristic algorithm designed and implemented;
It is easy to use by non-expert personnel;
It requires in input a unique and simple file: an Excel datasheet and provides in output Gantt charts ready to be used
in the workshop.
In SCL anything that doesnt already exist in Quest can be created, this makes Quest very flexible and versatile.
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Figure 8 displays the improved layout with only three men power and the layout is designed to be in a U-shaped.
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After a run simulation of 32400 seconds, it is noted that, in both cases there is the same number of parts, 394 parts.
In the Linear layout there are five labors for the processes. From the observation, labors capability has not been used
effectively. In U- shape layout there are only three labors for the processes.
100
90
Utilization ( % )
80
70
60
50
U-shape layout
40
Linear layout
30
20
10
0
Labor1_1 Labor2_1 Labor3_1 Labor4_1 Labor5_1
Fig. 10 Labor utilization efficiency in linear and U shape layout
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(4)
where ui is the hourly customer usage rate for product i and it is determined from:
= .
(5)
Total annual cost is now defined as the sum of the three cost components:
Total annual cost= Annual cost of production labour +Annual cost of changeover +Annual cost of inventory,
where annual cost of production labour is:
( ), i=1,n.
Annual cost of direct production labour =
(6)
We should caution that the above cost may not be realistic due to possible idle time where the required weekly
scheduled hours (ts) is less than the maximum allowable weekly hours (tmax) and workers must be paid due to
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)+
, i=1,n. (8).
In Delmia Quest software, we consider the inventory (stocks) the parts on the buffers [1]. Buffers in Quest are used to
represent the locations where are stored or where they queue to get to other resources such as machines. A buffer might
thus represent a storage location in a warehouse, the hopper or buffer feeding parts into a machine or a queue for
customers waiting in a bank.
The Initial Stock button allows us to set the numbers and classes of parts that are already present in the buffer when
the model run begins. The default is zero. This parameter allows a buffer to begin with any number of any part classes
that has been defined in the model [6].
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Buffer2_1
Buffer3_1
Buffer4_1
Buffer5_1
D. Costing
Manufacturing cost has two classify methods. The first one classifies the manufacturing cost into fixed costs and
variable costs. The second separates manufacturing cost into: (1) direct labor, (2) material, and (3) overhead. Cost
Macros is used to analyze the running cost of various resources in a system after running a simulation and to calculate the
product cost of a system. These macros calculate the cost of the product based on the principle of ABC (Activity Based
Costing) [6]. For example, we made the cost analysis for five machines in U shape model using Delmia Quest software.
TABLE I
COST ANALYSIS REPORT
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Total Cost
Variable Cost
Fixed Cost
IV. CONCLUSIONS
The aim of this article is to analyse and manage the manufacturing flows in different configuration of cells, in order to
improve the productivity, to reduce the costs and to obtain required stocks where we have a series production. By using
simulation in Quest not only one variable at the time could be tested but also how combined changes affected the
production. The ability to test and measure the results that followed often lead to the discovery of other things to
improve. After a while the ability to forecast the effects of the changes increased. At the end of the project it was
surprisingly easy to predict how the system and the number of parts produced would respond to different changes. Quest
gives the ability to use graphs and charts to visualize almost any data imaginable from the cell. With the right model it
will only take a few seconds to get the same information that would take days or even years to measure out of the actual
production cell.
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