Analysis of a Production Cell using Production Simulation Tools

Abstract: This final thesis was performed at Ecole Nationale Supériure D’Arts et Métiers (ENSAM) in Lille, France. The aim of the thesis has been to use two different simulation tools to analyse an existing production cell with focus on industrial engineering. The possible use and the usability of the simulation tools are also studied. The models built for simulation have been used to gather data about the cell. After analyse and discussion about the data we came to the following conclusions. The bottleneck in the cell is the Stäubli. A cheap and simple way to improve the cell is by adding new decision points (sensors) to it. The most efficient location of the new decision points is before and after the Stäubli. The production rate reaches its maximum rate for both settings with eight pallets. If the improvements are implemented then there is no reason to change the speed of the conveyor. With basic settings the speed can be increased for better productivity. The most efficient production type for short setup times is single, for both settings. Delmia is useful for visual representation. It’s also useful for measurements of time and distance since the accuracy is very high. Delmia is useful as common platform when to discuss and explain thoughts and ideas about a project. Flow simulation in Quest provides a great understanding of the production and the behaviour of the cell. It is very easy to get data in and out of the program and to compare results and impacts of changes.