Helmut Engelke

Integrated manufacturing modeling system

The objective of the Integrated Manufacturing Modeling System (IMMS) project was to build a generic software package for manufacturing modeling. The package allows interactive model building, testing, and experimentation. IMMS integrates the fundamental components of modeling, namely system description, data acquisition and management, graphic input and output, and performance simulation. The fundamental idea is to describe the flow of information, materials, and resources by using parametric standard model building blocks. Inputting is done by placing function symbols on a graphic screen and by filling in blanks for parameter data. The output includes all common performance measures, such as utilization and work in process (WIP), in graphic form. The simulation language used to implement the model building blocks is RESQ2. The Integrated Manufacturing Modeling System combines the advantage of simulation modeling with the advantages of end user programming capability. Simulation results allow intelligent decision making based on analysis (instead of intuitive experience), and an end user package reduces the turnaround time for modeling and eliminates the need for specialized programming skill. All this translates into faster and better-quality manufacturing system design and operation.