Tecnomatix Plant Simulation
Today profitable business and the business’ preservation are the main challenges for the companies. Short time-to-market and prize minimisation of custom-tailored goods and services are a key factors in success for discrete manufacturer. As a consequence for local and global value added chains production systems and processes have to be continuously optimised regarding efficient schedules, resource allocation and productivity.
In this context virtual product development and production planning is an opportunity to create objective decision criteria to analyse, evaluate and compare alternative approaches. Nowadays a digital product development is routine practice in many companies, the concept of digital factory additionally focuses on production planning.
The focus of the digital factory is the early virtual production planning of the factory systems and all corporate processes [VDI-4499]. It aims to secure products, production processes and production sequences to support and accelerate the production development. Digital models and tools service as constant basis [VDI-4499].
Within this context Tecnomatix Plant Simulation is a discrete-event simulation tool for the planning, realisation and establishment of production systems and processes, the flow of materials and logistic operations. It is used for the exploration and optimization of systems' characteristics for all levels of plant planning from workplaces at shop floor level, through local plants, to worldwide distributed production facilities.
Key capabilities according to the Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. [Siemens-2014]:
- "Object-oriented models with hierarchy and inheritance,
- Open architecture with multiple interface support,
- Library and object management,
- Genetics algorithm for optimization,
- Energy consumption simulation and analysis,
- Value stream mapping and simulation,
- Automatic analysis of simulation results, and
- HTML-based report builder." [Siemens-2014].
Benefits according to the Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. [Siemens-2014]:
- "As much as 6 percent savings upon initial investment,
- Increase existing system productivity by as much as 20 percent,
- Reduce new system costs by as much as 20 percent,
- Optimize resource consumption and re-use,
- Reduce inventories by as much as 60 percent,
- Reduce throughput time by as much as 60 percent, and
- Optimize systems for reduced energy consumption." [Siemens-2014].