Revisitation of the simulation methodologies and applications in manufacturing

Manufacturing is one of the largest application areas of simulation. For the purpose of understanding where, how and why the simulation is used in the manufacturing, this survey classifies the manufacturing system into two broad areas viz. manufacturing system design and manufacturing system operations. The two broad areas are further subdivided for this study. The survey discusses the evolution of the subdivisions before detailing the need of simulation in each of the sub divisions of the manufacturing systems. Finally, a discussion is made in order to understand where the research is heading for and identifying the future directions

IMPROVING THROUGHPUT AND COMPLETION DATE ESTIMATION IN HIGH PRECISION COMPONENT MANUFACTURER USING SIMULATION APPROACH

Simulation has become an indispensable tool which enables engineers, designers, planner and managers, to study, analyze and evaluate complex situations that would not be otherwise possible. In this paper, a job shop simulation model with stochastic variables and constraints in a high precision component manufacturer is presented. Data was collected from the manufacturer of high-mix and low volume products, each product with different processing specifications. A discrete event simulation model was developed using the Witness Simulation software. The model is then verified and validated with the data from the company. Simulation experiments were conducted to identify bottlenecks in the manufacturing system and to test several scenarios of operators’ overtime. The experiments also have the ability to estimate the completion date for customer orders. Results show that simulation model gives better estimates of the completion dates of the customer orders compared to the production planner of the company

An Integrated Framework to Assess ‘Leanness’ Performance in Distribution Centres

The theory behind lean philosophy is to create more value with less. Effective lean management enables organisations to exceed customer expectations while reducing costs. Despite the fact that numerous practices and approaches are used in the process of implementing lean philosophy and reducing waste within supply chain systems, little effort has been directed into assessing the leanness level of distribution and its impact on overall performance. Given the vital role of distribution units within supply chains, this research aims to develop a comprehensive lean assessment framework that integrates a selected set of statistical, analytical, and mathematical techniques in order to assess the ‘leanness’ level in the distribution business. Due to the limited number of published articles in the area of lean distribution, there are no clear definitions of the underlying factors and practices. Therefore, the primary phase of the proposed framework addresses the identification of lean distribution dimensional structure and practices. The other two phases of the framework discuss the development of a structured model for lean distribution and address the process to find a quantitative lean index for benchmarking lean implementation in distribution centres. Integrating the three phases provides the decision makers with an indicator of performance, subject to applying various lean practices. Incorporating the findings of a survey that sent to 700 distribution businesses in Ireland along with value stream mapping, modelling, simulation, and data envelopment analysis, has given the framework strength in the assessment of leanness. Research outcomes show that lean distribution consists of five key dimensions; workforce management, item replenishment, customers, transportation, and process quality. Lean practices associated with these dimensions are mainly focused on enhancing the communication channels with customers, simplifying the distribution networks structure, people participating in problem solving and a continuous improvement process, and increasing the reliability and efficiency of the distribution operations. The final output of the framework is two key leanness indices; one is set to measure the tactical leanness level, while the second index represents the leanness at the operational level. Both indices can effectively be used in evaluating the lean implementation process and conducting a benchmarking process based on the leanness level