INTEGRATION POSSIBILITIES OF SOFTWARE TOOLS USED IN
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INTEGRATION POSSIBILITIES OF SOFTWARE TOOLS USED IN
DESIGN OF MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS
P. Vik
Technická uni e si a Libe ci
Fakul a s ojní, Ka ed a ý obních sys émů
S uden ská 2, 461 17 Libe ec 1, Czech Republic
[email p o ec ed]
L. Dias, G. Pe ei a
Uni e sidade do Minho
Depa amen o de P odução e Sis emas
Campus de Gual a , 4710 – 057, B aga, Po ugal
[email p o ec ed], [email p o ec ed]
Abs ac
Nowadays he e is a g ea p essu e on p oduc ion sys ems design o be done in a sho ime and
mo e e ec i ely. Mo eo e , i mus suppo he sys ems’ lexibili y, modula i y and obus ness. Fo
hese pu poses se e al so wa e ools ha e been used– mainly o p ojec analysis, design and
alida ion. Ne e heless, hese ools ha e been used wi h a low in eg a ion le el, including he
absence o da a cohe ence.
This pape deals wi h p oduc ion sys ems’ design, ac ually conce ning he in eg a ion o pa icula
so wa e ools in o a uni ied sys em. This wo k iden i ies di e en ools, desc ibing hei unc ions
and p inciples o in eg a ion. I also add esses he way his in eg a ion enabled he au oma ic
gene a ion o simula ion p og ams. Fu he mo e, i inally discusses ways o making his in eg a ion
con ibu ing o he au oma ic gene a ion o di e en pa e ns o p ojec layou s.
1. In oduc ion
The p oduc ion sys em’s design is a p ocess o managing echnical and o ganiza ion a ian s in
o de o con igu e sys em elemen s wi h ega d o he op imal usage o all sou ces (i.e. ma e ial,
ene gy, a eas), p oduc i e and nonp oduc i e acili ies (p oduc ion machines, handling and
checking acili ies) and wo ke s. These a ian s deal wi h spa ial layou and also wi h dynamic ime
changes.
Gene ally i is possible o di ide he used so wa e ools in o ou g oups:
 Da abases – analysis o s a es, da a s o age, da a mining
 CAD sys ems – g aphic designs, e i ica ion o spa ial layou a ian s
 Disc e e compu e simula ion sys ems - e i ica ion o a ian s wi h ime changes
 Visual sys ems – 2D, 3D anima ion o i ual eali y o be e unde s anding o sugges ed
p inciples
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On he basis o expe iences om se e al p ojec s and analysis o he cu en s a e , he ollowing
disad an ages and limi a ions in using so wa e ools ha e been ound:
 Absence o da a- low be ween p og ams
 Exis ence o se e al independen da a-sou ces
 Absence o eedbacks which a e necessa y o egis e ing o changes sugges ed du ing he
design p ocess
 Managing o p ojec a ian s
Manual p ojec da a-connec ion causes slowdowns in he p ocess o designing, duplica ing wo k o
e en being a sou ce o mis akes.
We know abou he exis ence o sys ems called “Digi al ac o ies” ha in ol e hemen ioned ools
in one common solu ion. The pa icula ools a e connec ed by in o ma ion lows. The big
disad an ages a e a huge p ice o hese so wa e packages, ocused mainly on mass p oduc ion
(au omo i e indus y) in la ge-sized ac o ies, and also hei excessi e complica ion. The p oo o
complica ion could be he exis ence o only wo sys ems o digi al ac o ies - Tecnoma ix and
Delmia. The e is s ill no any simila solu ion o small and middle-sized ac o ies wi h a e y easy
con olling and wi h unc ions ocused on hese kinds o ac o ies and p oduc ion p oblems.
Fig. 1: Compa ing o he cu en and new app oaches o so wa e in e connec ion
Fo hese easons a compac sys em has been elabo a ed on. I is o connec pa icula sys ems
oge he , and o simpli y and s eamline designing o p oduc ion sys ems. One o he main aims is
o co e he wide ange o p oblems and asks sol ed du ing designing – such as:
 Dimensioning o s o ages and bu e s, es ablishmen o s o age limi a ion
 Op imal usage o sou ces
 Bo leneck analysis
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 Design o handling and supplying sys em (AGV, milk- un sys em, con eyo , manual
handling e c.)
 P oblema ics o long- e m designing (changes in p oduc mix and olume), change o cos s
o o he pa ame e s
 Sugges ion o de ailed layou and eal cons ain s (cu en acili ies, walls, pilla s,
e gonomics, e c.)
 Re-layou p oblema ic (mo e o en han g een- ield designing)
In he igu e 1 he e is a compa ison be ween he mos equen ly used p inciple o oday (on he le
side) and a new app oach wi h he ela i e in e connec ion (on he igh side).
2. Desc ibing o he new app oach
On he basis o possibili ies and gi en equi emen s a sys em was sugges ed. The e a e h ee
p og ams in eg a ed, conc e ely MS Access (da abase), Wi ness Simula ion ool (disc e e
simula ion ool) and Au oCAD (CAD sys em o d awing o layou s). These p og ams we e chosen
o hei usage expansion in his a ea o designing.
In he diag am 2 he e is showed he o e all in eg a ion wi h in o ma ion lows and snapsho s om
pa icula p og ams.
Fig 2: O e all in eg a ion
In
p
u
da a
MS Access
Au oCAD
Va ian s
Op imal disposi ion o acili ies
sol ed by ma e ial low
Disposi ion o acili ies
in luenced by eal cons ain s
Analyses
(Dynamic op imiza ion)
Lib a y o CAD objec s
Wi ness VR
3D anima ion and VR
Real p ocesses a
en e p ise
SAP, Excel,
MySQL da abase
Im
p
lemen a ion
Wi ness
INTEGRATION POSSIBILITIES OF SOFTWARE TOOLS USED IN
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2.1. In e connec ion
Fo in eg a ion and con olling o p og ams, Visual Basic o Applica ion (VBA) was chosen like a
p og amming language. The main easons a e:
 i s in ol emen in almos all p oduc s o Mic oso , Au oCAD and many o he s (one
common language simpli ies he in eg a ion)
 easy language syn axes and using (especially in e ac i e de elopmen en e ainmen and
isual ools)
 easy es ablishing connec ion o da abases (e.g. wi h help o OLE DB Mic oso Je )
 suppo o OLE Au oma ion (Objec Linking and Embedding) se es o con olling o
o he p og ams and using o hei objec s
 DDE (Dynamic Da a Exchange) o da a exchange be ween applica ions.
2.2. The de ailed desc ip ion o pa icula ools unc ion
Da abase sys em
A common da abase (MS Access) se es as he sou ce and deposi o p ojec da a (i.e. also o
inpu s and ou pu s da a om simula ion and CAD) and i builds a basic in e connec ion elemen .
This da abase includes VBA mac os o au oma ic gene a ion simula ion o elemen s and hei
p ope ies wi h minimum use in e en ion. In he igu e 3 he ela ional da abase wi h i s s uc u e
and VBA mac os is displayed.
The needed da a o simula ion model a e:
 The de ini ion o ope a ion (inpu s and ou pu s pa s, size ba ches, assembly in o ma ion,
p ocess imes e c.,
 P oduc ion sequences o pa s (i.e. hei ou ing hough p oduc ion acili ies),
 Kinds o c a es and anspo ed quan i y,
 P oduc i e and nonp oduc i e acili ies (machines and handling equipmen ) and hei
p ope ies (se up imes, anspo speeds),
 Scheduling o p oduc ion,
 Wo ke s and hei p ope ies.
The da abase con ains also VBA mac os o au oma ic loading o CAD objec s in o Au oCAD, also
wi h a minimum in e en ion. The e is also some undamen al analysis (mainly PQ analysis). An
emphasis is placed on easy da a en y and change – such as a p oduc ion plan o olumes (in
au omo i e indus y i is conce ned mainly wi h he p oduc aceli s, expansion o new p oduc ion
launches). I is possible o make some expe imen s and es sys em wi h hese da a and sea ch
consequences in o he designed sys em o o make a es o unce ain y in luences and de e mina e
he obus ness and lexibili y o he sys em.
INTEGRATION POSSIBILITIES OF SOFTWARE TOOLS USED IN
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Fig. 3: Snapsho s om he ela ional da abase and VBA mac os
Simula ion sys em
The gene a ed simula ion model consis s o he elemen s men ioned be o e and some o he elemen s
such as lis s (ope a ion, acili ies, pa s e c.), module o p ojec da abase es ablishmen and o he
modules in ol ing SQL que ies o loading da a. These modules eed simula ion elemen s by da a,
and also au oma ically con igu e and upda e hem. I is possible o con igu e model on basis o he
ac ual da a om he da abase (model’s ini ializa ion a he beginning o he simula ion un). So he
use s change only da a in he da abase in use - iendly o ms o manage he simula ion model.
A e gene a ing and con igu a ion o he model, a phase o simula ion uns and expe imen a ion
ollows. The ob ained da a a e eco ded back o he da abase. Ou pu da a a e mainly s ochas ic
ma e ial lows, a e age and maximal occupa ion o bu e s ( his in o ma ion is used in he design o
layou in CAD), usages o sou ces (machines, ope a o s and handling sys em), bo leneck places,
h oughpu o sys em e c.
In he igu e 4 he e is a show o gene a ed simula ion model in un. I shows he ac ual occupa ion
o bu e s (queues), usages o acili ies (pie g aphs), and some o he in o ma ion (lis o acili ies,
pa s, and ope a ion). This model is jus o a demons a i e show, i is a simula ion o unpacking
pa s om anspo c a es and hei assembly.
Fig. 4: Show o simula ion model

INTEGRATION POSSIBILITIES OF SOFTWARE TOOLS USED IN
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CAD sys em
I is mainly used o displaying acili ies in layou and hei sys em se lemen , i.e. inding he bes
loca ion o each acili y in layou . Fo ha he e a e VBA mac os enabling o ind he bes (ideal)
posi ions acco ding o a iangula algo i hm based on he alues o ma e ial lows. The de ailed
layou is in luenced by se e al ac o s and limi a ions (cu en p oduc ion acili ies o building
cons ain s). G aphic objec s (d awing o acili ies o simpli ying compensa ion) a e au oma ically
pu om lib a ies in o he layou .
The e a e displayed ma e ial lows – de e minis ic o s ochas ic (ob ained by simula ion, and
in ol ing s ochas ic in luences). The gene a ed lows a e de ined like a di ec wo-poin line,
wi hou espec o he eal de o ma ion caused by eal cons ain s (e.g. building). Fo displaying eal
ma e ial lows, i is necessa y o change hese lines in o poly-lines (a line de ined by se e al poin s),
and o modi y hei shapes wi h espec o he eal cons ain s. The de ini ion poin s o poly-lines
a e eco ded in o he da abase. In he igu e 5 he e is a simple show o layou wi h ma e ial lows
(ideal and eal) o pa icula pa s. Fo compa ing o p ojec a ian s based on ma e ial lows, i is
possible o coun a sum o ma e ial lows ( eal leng h mul iplied by i s wid h), and o e alua e hem
by hese numbe s.
Flows could ha e a ious uni s ( anspo ed weigh a e some ime o equency o anspo
mo emen ).
I is also possible o display lows acco ding o a ious pa ame e s – lows o speci ic pa s, lows
o one kind o anspo o lows o one kind o c a e (e.g. palle s).
The e a e used da a, such as bu e sizes i.e. necessa y a eas o s o ages. I could help o design
shel es and o he logis ic elemen s.
Ou pu da a eco ded in o he p ojec da abase a e coo dina es o acili ies, eal ma e ial lows
(coo dina es o de ini ion poin s) and also changes aised du ing he layou design – e.g. changes o
palle s numbe ob ained by simula ion (o iginal ask) - i is necessa y o educe i because o lack o
space ( indings du ing layou design). In his case, he e a ises a ques ion how his limi a ion
in luences he designed p oduc ion sys em.
Fig. 5: Snapsho s o layou in Au oCAD wi h ma e ial lows (ideal and eal)
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O he p ope ies o in eg a ion:
One o he ad an ages esul ing om his app oach is a possibili y o wo ways o designing
manu ac u ing sys ems, namely:
 Design o layou , hen i s e i ica ion by compu e simula ion
 Design a simula ion model, hen design a layou
 (O possibili y o combina ion wo k in bo h sys ems al e na ely)
Gene ally, o minimiza ion o handling cos s i is be e o use he way s a ing in CAD, and hen o
con inue by a compu e simula ion. In he case ha he main aims a e p ocesses and hei imp o ing
( h oughpu , bo leneck places, ba ch sizes, usage o handling sys em e c.), i is be e o s a by a
compu e simula ion and o con inue wi h he layou design in he CAD sys em.
3. Conclusion
The desc ibed solu ion in eg a es so wa e ools used in p oduc ion sys ems’ design in o a unique
sys em whe e all ools a e connec ed by a da abase.
The gene al aim o his wo k was o imp o e he p ocess o p oduc ion sys ems’ design, emo ing
edundan ac i i ies and eplacing “manual” wo k by some au oma ic design phases.
I in eg a es s a ic and dynamic layou op imiza ion, inc easing he ac o y compe i i eness while
helping he design o lexible and obus p oduc ion sys ems.
Ano he bene i om his wo k is he in elligible illus a ion, e.g. ende ing o ma e ial lows, 2D
anima ion o p ocesses wi hin he simula ion ool o he possibili y o c ea e i ual eali y
en e ainmen wi h Wi ness Vi ual Reali y Toolbox.
The mos p oblema ic issues o his app oach a e da a-uni ica ion be ween companies and p ojec
da abases, in ol ing eal cons ain s in o layou de ini ions and some es ic ion as a as au oma ic
gene a ion o simula ion models is conce ned (models a e gene a ed jus o sol ing speci ic and
common asks).
Fu u e wo k will be ocused on using his in eg a ion o sol ing eal p oduc ion p oblems,
imp o ing and adding some unc ions – such as sol ing ou ing p oblems, inding he bes ou es
o anspo ehicles (e.g. milk- un sys ems) o c ea ing a ool o designing s o age sys ems.
INTEGRATION POSSIBILITIES OF SOFTWARE TOOLS USED IN
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Li e a u e
[1] ALEISA E., LIN L.: Fo e ec i e acili ies planning: layou op imiza ion hen simula ion, o
ice e sa? , In P oceedings o he Win e Simula ion Con e ence, 2005, s. 1381-1385
[2] BENJAAFAR, S., HERAGU, S. S., IRANI S.: Nex gene a ion Fac o y layou s: Resea ch
challenges and ecen p og ess, In e ace 2002.
[3] FRANCIS R.L., McGINNIS L.F., WHITE J.A.: Facili y Layou and Loca ion: An Analy ical
App oach, 2nd edi ion, P en ice-Hall, Englewood Cli s, NJ, USA, 1992.
[4] KULTUREL S.: App oaches o unce ain ies in acili y layou p oblems: Pe spec i es a he
beginning o he 21 h Cen u y, In Sp inge Science and Business Media, Sp inge Ne he lands
2007, ISSN 0956-5515
[5] MECKLENBURG K.,: Seamless in eg a ion o layou and simula ion, In P oceedings o he
2001 Win e Simula ion Con e ence, s. 1487- 1491.
[6] MELLER R.D., GAU Y.K.: The acili y layou p oblem: ecen and eme ging ends and
pe spec i es, Jou nal o Manu ac u ing Sys ems, 15, 351–366 (1996).
[7] MUTHER R.: Sys ema ické p ojek o ání (SLP), SNTL, P aha, 1970.
[8] TAYLOR G.: In oduc ion o logis ics enginee ing, New Yo k, Taylo & F ancis G oup, 2008,
ISBN 978-1-4200-8851-9
[9] VIK P.: In eg a ion o CAD sys ems and compu e simula ion and i s usage in designing o
manu ac u ing sys ems, 3. meziná odní kon e ence Vý obní sys émy dnes a zí a, 27.–
28.11.2008, ISBN 978-80-7372-416-0
[10] VIK P.: P opojení nás ojů použí aných p o na ho ání ý obních sys émů. P oceedings o 4 h
annual In e na ional con e ence o Ph.D s uden esand young esea ches, Zlín 10. Ap il 2008,
ISBN 978–80-7318-663-0
[11] WU Y., APPLETON E.: The op imiza ion o block layou and aisle s uc u e by a gene ic
algo i hm, Compu e s and Indus ial Enginee ing, 41, no4, 371–387, 2002
[12] ZELINKA A., KRÁL M.: P ojek o ání ý obních sys émů, P aha: ČVUT, 1995, ISBN 80–01-
013302-2
[13] Bu eš M., Ul ych Z.,Leede E.:Digi ální ab ika – so wa o é p oduk y p o oblas dii ální
ab iky, In Mopp – Modelo ání a op imalizace podniko ý p ocesů, Plzeň 8.-9. 2. 2007 ISBN
978–80–7043–535-9
[14] Vila inho P., Guima aes R.: A Facili y Layou Design Suppo Sys em, In es igacao
Ope acional 23, 2003, p. 145–161, ISSN 0874–5161
Do učeno edakci: 10. 4. 2009
Recenzo áno: 16. 6. 2009
Sch áleno k publiko ání: 23. 6. 2009
INTEGRATION POSSIBILITIES OF SOFTWARE TOOLS USED IN
DESIGN OF MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS
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INTEGRATIONSMÖGLICHKEITEN VON SOFTWARE-WERKZEUGEN
FÜR DEN ENTWURF VON FERTIGUNGSSYSTEMEN
Gegenwä ig bes eh g oße D uck bei de schnellen und übe legenen E zeugung on P ojek en on
P oduk ionssys emen. Ve schiedene So wa e-We kzeuge we den ü diese Zwecke haup sächlich
zu Analyse, Planung und Kon olle on P ojek en genu z . Diese Hil smi el we den gewöhnlich
gesonde ode mi minimalem ela i em Da enzusammenhal genu z .
Diese Au sa z konzen ie sich allgemein au die Thema ik des En wu s on
P oduk ionssys emen, konk e au die In eg a ion einzelne So wa e-We kzeuge in ein
gemeinsames Sys em. Besch ieben we den mannig al ige Hil smi el und ih e Funk ionen,
In eg a ionsp inzipien sowie ande e Möglichkei en, die on diese In eg a ion ausgehen, zum
Beispiel au oma isches E zeugen lau ähige Simula ionsmodelle. Die In eg a ion lie e auch die
E zeugung on S ellungen ü Anlagen in de P ojek skizze.
MOŻLIWOŚCI INTEGRACJI NARZĘDZI SOFTWAROWYCH
STOSOWANYCH W PROJEKTOWANIU SYSTEMÓW PRODUKCYJNYCH
Obecnie duży nacisk kładziony jes na szybkie i wysokiej jakości p ojek owanie sys emów
p odukcji. W ym celu s osowane są óżne na zędzia so wa owe służące do ich analizy,
p ojek owania i we y ikacji. Jednak w większości p zypadków na zędzia e s osowane są
samodzielnie i p zy niskim poziomie in eg acji danych. Manualne łączenie danych p ojek owych
wydłuża p oces p ojek owania, powoduje powielanie czynności i s anowi ź ódło pows awania
błędów.
Tema yka a ykułu związana jes z p ojek owaniem sys emów p odukcyjnych, a w szczególności
do yczy połączenia poszczególnych na zędzi so wa owych w jeden sys em. W p acy opisano
poszczególne na zędzia i ich unkcje, zasady ich łączenia o az wynikające z niego możliwości.
Należy do nich p zykładowo gene owanie modeli symulacyjnych z bazy danych, gene owanie
pozycji u ządzenia w ozmieszczeniu (layou ) p odukcji o az ich op y
malnego umiejscowienia wobec siebie w zależności od p zepływów ma e iałowych.
MOŽNOSTI PROPOJENÍ SYSTÉMŮ POUŽÍVANÝCH V PROJEKTOVÁNÍ
VÝROBNÍCH SYSTÉMŮ
V současné době je kladen elký lak na ychlou a k ali ní o bu ná hů p ojek ů ý obních
sys émů. P o y o účely se použí á ůzných so wa o ých pomůcek p o analýzu, ná h a o ěření
ěch o p ojek ů. Ty o pomůcky se ale ě šinou použí ají samos a ně nebo s minimální zájemnou
da o ou p o ázanos í. Ruční spojo ání p ojek o ých da ede ke zpomalení p ocesu na ho ání,
duplikační činnos i, případně je i zd ojem chyb.
Článek se obecně zabý á éma ikou na ho ání ý obních p ojek ů, konk é ně in eg ací
jedno li ých so wa o ých pomůcek do jednoho sys ému. Jsou zde popsány jedno li é nás oje a
jejich unkce, p incipy in eg ace a další možnos i plynoucí z oho o p opojení jako např. gene o ání
simulačních modelů z da abáze, gene o ání pozic zařízení do ý obního layou u a jejich
op imálního zájemného uspořádání podle ma e iálo ých oků.