Simulating a production environment for managerial decision making

M.Ing.The purpose of this research investigation is to develop and simulate a current manufacturing production line, for a company by the name of Aerosud, using a 3- dimensional software tool called Delmia Quest ®. The company in question is a mechanical and aeronautical manufacturing organisation that supplies components to both the civil and military sectors to a variety of global points. The aim of this investigation was to develop a simulation model that, initially, mapped the actual workings of the real production line with the use of actual time data recorded through measurement. Secondly, various observations were made to discover how much work-in-progress (WIP) remains idle during the manufacturing procedure and how much productivity is reached after a standard production week of forty-five hours. Hence, the aim of the simulation model is to improve those two factors by increasing the productivity of the entire production line and reduce the amount of WIP idle to a minimum. To achieve this, the author created a baseline model for both the throughput time and the WIP at each cell of production. The results of these curves were obtained using actual statistical time data obtained during the observation period. These results were then plotted onto individual axis to visually identify the outputs. Next, the author analysed the baseline model, within the 3D virtual world of the software, to witness where possible errors exist in terms of throughput time and the amount of WIP idle at various stations of production. It was clearly identified that the cell with the most production problems, was assembly. The author thus identified possible methods of reducing these problems and simulated those actions. The results showed various improvements in the amount of throughput time gained as well as a significant reduction to the amount of WIP idle at that particular cell. The simulations were thus mapped onto the same axis as the baseline model, in terms of throughput time and WIP respectively. This provides visual identification to the outcome of such simulations so that the reader can identify clarity in the results. A basic comparison of each simulation was described with reference to the baseline curve in order to clarify what the results had shown. Finally, the investigation was concluded highlighting that the baseline model created was a good start to analysing the company’s production line; however, as further research, it was recommended that various types of improvements can still be made to this model in order to improve its realism when compared to the real production line