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Simulation in a CIM environment: Structure for analysis and real-time control

Simulation has long been recognized as a valuable tool for analyzing manufacturing systems. It is effective for assessing the impact of changing system parameters (e.g. reducing processing time) upon system performance measures, and it can also aid decisions concerning system configuration. At Penn State, simulation is playing an important role in the development of a Computer Integrated Manufacturing Laboratory. Currently, it is being used as an analysis tool studying system design and computer communication issues. Future plans are to use simulation as a real-time scheduling and control tool. Due to this ultimate long-term goal of the simulation model use, the model structure is different than traditional manufacturing applications of simulation. Rather than having events associated with workpiece movement and processing drive the simulation, computer communication events drive the model. This paper first discusses the general considerations involved when applying simulation as an analysis tool and potential real-time control tool in the CIM environment, The paper then discusses these analysis and real-time control issues in detail using the Penn State CIM Lab application as an illustrative example.