Automated Simulator Development: A Strategy For Modeling Modular Housing Production

This paper describes an automated approach for developing discrete event simulation models for the modular housing industry. A modular home is produced in a factory and is transported to the construction site in modules. The manufacturing process is complex, combining line flow product movement with a complex precedence network and physical constraints. This paper describes elements commonly found in modular manufacturing and summarizes an approach for automating the model development process using ProModel and Visual Basic. A case study is presented to verify advantages, which include a substantial reduction in model development time and improved modeling consistency and quality. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved