Plant Simulation is a computer application developed by Siemens PLM Software for modeling, simulating, analyzing, visualizing and optimizingproduction systems and processes, the flow of materials and logistic operations. Using Tecnomatix Plant Simulation, users can optimize material flow, resource utilization and logistics for all levels of plant planning from global production facilities, through local plants, to specific lines. Within the Plant Design und Optimization Solutionthe software portfolio, to which Plant Simulation belongs, is — together with the products of the Digital Factory and of Digital Manufacturing — part of the Product Lifecycle ManagementSoftware. The application allows comparing complex production alternatives, including the immanent process logic, by means of computer simulations. Plant Simulation is used by individual production planners as well as by multi-national enterprises, primarily to strategically plan layout, control logic and dimensions of large, complex production investments. It is one of the major products that dominate that market space.
Product description
Plant Simulation is a Material flow simulation Software. Using simulation, complex and dynamic enterprise workflows are evaluated to arrive at mathematically safeguarded entrepreneurial decisions. The Computer model allows the user to execute experiments and to run through 'what if scenarios' without either having to experiment with the real production environment or, when applied within the planning phase, long before the real system exists. In general the Material flow analysis is used when discrete production processes are running. These processes are characterized by non-steady material flows, which means that the part is either there or not there, the shift takes place or does not take place, the machine works without errors or reports a failure. These processes resist simple mathematical descriptions and derivations due to numerous dependencies. Before powerful computers were available, most problems of material flow simulation have been solved by means of queuing theory and operations research methods. In most cases the solutions resulting from these calculations were hard to understand and were marked by a large number of boundary conditions and restrictions which were hard to abide by in reality.
*Inheritance: Users create libraries with their own objects, which can be re-used. As opposed to a copy, any change to an object class within the library is propagated to any of the derived objects.
*Polymorphism: Classes can be derived and derived methods can be redefined. This enables users to build complex models faster, easier and with a clearer structure.
*Hierarchy: Complex structures can be created very clearly on several layers. This facilitates a Top-down and bottom-up design approach.
Reduce investment costs for production lines without endangering the required output quantities.
Optimize the performance of existing production lines.
Incorporate machine failures, availabilities when calculating throughput numbers and utilization.
Visualization
Plant Simulation can display production sequences in 2D and in 3D. The 3D display is especially helpful as a sales tool or for in-house communication of planned measures. In addition it allows to present the entire system concept within a virtual, interactive, environment to non-simulation experts. The 3D engine is based on the industry standardJT format. CAD applications such as NX, Solid Edge can export models in this format. The 3D data files can be imported in the JT format '.jt' by using Drag-and-drop.
Used in
Plant Simulation is used in most industries. Especially in the
Automotive industry
Automotive suppliers
Aerospace
Plant manufacturing
Mechanical engineering
Process industry
Electronics industry
Consumer packaged goods industry
Airports
Logistics companies
High bay warehouse suppliers, suppliers of automated guided vehicle systems and electric overhead monorail systems
Consulting houses and service providers
Shipyards ; SimCoMar is an interest group of shipyards and suppliers, universities and institutions engaged in the simulation of shipbuilding
Harbors, especially container terminals
Lately material flow simulation gains growing importance through the increasing use for considering the sustainability of industrial production processes. Here the characteristics of sustainable manufacturing are simulated and analyzed beforehand and then integrated into the investment decision process.
