A modular approach to the simulation of manufacturing processes

During a recent computer simulation study of a highly automated Electronics Assembly Plant, a new approach to modeling manufacturing systems was developed. This new approach involves a modular structure for modeling that will facilitate the design, description, coding and use of the models. In this paper, seven functional “modules” are defined, each containing functionally related subroutines that are interconnected according to the nature of the relevant system. Use of this modular approach provides a more flexible and less expensive method of simulation modeling.