A framework for on-line simulation systems

Due to the character of the original source materials and the nature of batch digitization, quality control issues may be present in this document. Please report any quality issues you encounter to digital@library.tamu.edu, referencing the URI of the item.Includes bibliographical references.Issued also on microfiche from Lange Micrographics.Simulation has traditionally been used for off-line planning and design. The advent of computer integrated manufacturing and flexible manufacturing systems has increased interest in shop floor control systems that use simulation technology for real-time decision making and control. On-line activities refer to the regular and repetitive operational decision making that occurs in the daily processes of a manufacturing system. Simulation offers short-term benefits to a variety of functions in a manufacturing organization, including capacity planning, scheduling, marketing and sales, and engineering. In this research, basic concepts for software design of an on-line simulation system are identified. A general framework that employs these concepts is then presented. The framework employs explicit software interfaces for integration into "intelligent: shop floor control systems, includes constructs for implementing real-time control, facilitates the development of reusable, "generic" simulation models as well as complex scheduling algorithms, and separates the functional activities of the simulation system such that system execution is simplified for a variety of end-users