A Layout Optimization Approach For Reconfigurable Conveyor System Using Simulation Technology

• Main Author: Ling, Yee Ni
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English; English
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: T Technology (General); TS Manufactures
• Online Access: http://eprints.utem.edu.my/id/eprint/25353/1/A%20Layout%20Optimization%20Approach%20For%20Reconfigurable%20Conveyor%20System%20Using%20Simulation%20Technology.pdf; http://eprints.utem.edu.my/id/eprint/25353/2/A%20Layout%20Optimization%20Approach%20For%20Reconfigurable%20Conveyor%20System%20Using%20Simulation%20Technology.pdf; http://eprints.utem.edu.my/id/eprint/25353/; https://plh.utem.edu.my/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=119165

Simulation software has been widely used nowadays. It is useful in the manufacturing sectors, especially in the fourth industrial revolution due to simulation software can provide ideas on how to model, simulate, analyse, and optimize the whole production systems without interrupting the real system. There are lots of simulation software in the market and use in different areas with different functions. The software used in this paper is the Tecnomatix Simulation software. The main purpose of this study is to present a layout optimization approach for the reconfigurable conveyor system. The approach is presented in the form of the user interface and the user interfaces are built for the straight-line conveyor and the curve conveyor using the element of dialogue in the software. This dialogue is formed with the assist of the programing language in the simulation software. The layout of the reconfigurable conveyor system able to optimize by optimizing the results of the speed of the conveyor and the throughput of the conveyor. The results can be optimized with the help of the defined parameters of the conveyor which are the width of the conveyor, the length of the conveyor, the number of conveyors, the degree of angle for the curve conveyor, the time is taken from the input to the output station, the density of the materials placed on the conveyor, and the size of the materials. The user interfaces for the curve conveyor able to optimize the layout with the degree of angle in the range of larger than 0º but lesser or equal to 90º due to the sine function of the calculation in the SimTalk. The studies of attributes were carried out to declare the parameters needed for the layout of the conveyor system before implementing the parameters into the user interface. There are two main categories for the parameters which are the defined parameter and the driven parameters or named as dependent parameters. The speed of the conveyor and the throughput of the conveyor are categorized under the group of driven parameters which meant that they are depending on the defined parameters. Once the defined parameters changed, the values change of driven parameters will happen.