A buffer temporarily holds parts. Different kinds of buffers exist in Tecnomatix Plant Simulation such as place buffer, buffer and store. This tutorial focus on a simple buffer. Every buffer has a certain capacity for material units. It can either be a queue (First In First Out) or stack (Last In First Out). It there acts as compensition between multiple material flow stations.

Enhance your simulation model

Task:

Before every sinple processing and every assembly line a container is placed to store material units. In the simulation model this container is modeled using buffer objects. Create buffers between the following elements:

• Manufacturing frame:
• HousingCover and Cutting, and
• PistonRod and Turning.
• PreAssembly_PistonRod frame:
• HousingCover and Assembly,
• PlainBearing and Assembly, and
• DirtDefelctor and Assembly.
• PreAssembly_HousingCover frame
• PistonRod and Assembly,
• ScrewNut_M10 and Assembly,
• Washer_M10 and Assembly, and
• AssemblyPiston and Assembly.
• Main frame:
• Housing and Assembly,
• HousingBase and Assembly,
• HousingSeal and Assembly,
• SocketScrew_M8x20 and Assembly,
• PreAssembly_HousingCover and Assembly,
• PreAssembly_PistonRod and Assembly,
• Assembly and Loading, and
• Loading and Drain.

Connect the Container source to the Loading assembly station. Then connect all other material flow objects as possible. Ignore the worker interfaces. Your intermediate simulation should look like figure 1-4.

Figure 1: Intermediate simulation model - Frame

Figure 2: Intermediate simulation model - Manufacturing

Figure 3: Intermediate simulation model - PreAssembly_HousingCover

Figure 4: Intermediate simulation model - PreAssembly_PistonRod