A new hybrid dynamic modelling approach for process planning

Today's highly competitive market places a great emphasis on improving efficiency and reducing costs. Simulation modelling is being widely used as a successful tool to design and analyze manufacturing systems. Enhancing the product design is an important issue. In addition, generating efficient simulation models with shorter lead times has become equally important to winning customer satisfaction. To meet these criteria, a new hybrid modelling approach for generating a simulation model and virtual environment from a process plan is presented. The proposed approach integrates simulation and virtual reality in order to render a dynamic shop floor model automatically using the basic process configurations. This is accomplished using an input database. The model interface is user-friendly so that the new users of simulation and administration can use the model easily once the input database requirement is fulfilled. Moreover, the model allows the user to trace the performance criteria of any process on the shop floor level at any instant as well as to experiment any production scenario. The virtual environment is used to verify through visualization the simulation model and also to provide a better understanding of the activities of the shop floor. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.