Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Plant Simulation
open-in-new
<h2 id="description">Description</h2> <p>Plant Simulation is a <a href="/facts/Material_flow/pEoFUbLA">Material flow</a> simulation <a href="/facts/Software/RP79lVSW">Software</a> (<a href="/facts/Discrete_event_simulation/gQjkaft8">Discrete Event Simulation; DES Software</a>). Using simulation, complex and dynamic enterprise workflows are evaluated to arrive at mathematically safeguarded entrepreneurial decisions. The <a href="/facts/Computer_model/Re6o8vzN">Computer model</a> allows the user to execute experiments and run through 'what if scenarios' without either having to experiment with the real production environment or when applied within the planning phase, long before the real system exists. In general, the <a href="/facts/Material_flow_analysis/kg1und3v">Material flow analysis</a> is used when discrete production processes are running. These processes are characterized by non-steady material flows, which means that the part is either there or not there, the shift takes place or does not take place, and the machine works without errors or reports a failure. These processes resist simple mathematical descriptions and derivations due to numerous dependencies. Before powerful computers were available, most problems of material flow simulation were solved by means of <a href="/facts/Queuing_theory/8NDl56EM">queuing theory</a> and <a href="/facts/Operations_research/H5yJkV5n">operations research</a> methods. In most cases, the solutions resulting from these calculations were hard to understand and were marked by a large number of boundary conditions and restrictions that were hard to abide by in reality. </p> <h3>Languages</h3> <p>Plant Simulation is available in <a href="/facts/English_language/tpkxGt7b">English</a>, <a href="/facts/German_language/oWaQIDA8">German</a>, <a href="/facts/Japanese_language/EEv485a5">Japanese</a>, <a href="/facts/Hungarian_language/nt4g0ano">Hungarian</a>, <a href="/facts/Russian_language/ETXrTgHV">Russian</a> and <a href="/facts/Chinese_language/771ruUY1">Chinese</a>. The user can create individual <a href="/facts/Dialog_box/VgWHgrE2">Dialog boxes</a> using <a href="/facts/DBCS/zRNCbR2p">double-byte characters</a> and offering individual parameterizations. The user can switch between the available languages. </p> <h3>Special features</h3> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Object-oriented_programming/TxNMEcao">Object-oriented programming</a> with <ul><li><a href="/facts/Inheritance_(object-oriented_programming)/a7R1xv8n">Inheritance</a>: Users create libraries with their own objects, which can be re-used. As opposed to a copy, any change to an object class within the library is propagated to any of the derived objects (children).</li> <li><a href="/facts/Polymorphism_in_object-oriented_programming/S3cCKsVT">Polymorphism</a>: Classes can be derived and derived methods can be redefined. This enables users to build complex models faster, easier and with a clearer structure.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Hierarchy/mYJyqFrG">Hierarchy</a>: Complex structures can be created very clearly on several (logic) layers. This facilitates a <a href="/facts/Top-down_and_bottom-up_design/MvtTkA3x">Top-down and bottom-up design</a> approach.</li></ul></li> <li>Openness for importing data from other systems, such as <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Access/1tID4rKM">Access</a> or <a href="/facts/Oracle_Database/FHv5g732">Oracle</a> data bases, <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Excel/Ezal6G75">Excel</a> worksheets or from <a href="/facts/SAP_ERP/us44na5G">SAP</a>.</li> <li>Integration: Plant Simulation is part of the <a href="/facts/Digital_factory/u632QNXm">Digital factory</a> and supports <ul><li>importing data from <a href="/facts/Product_lifecycle_management/G3U6gtBv">PLM</a> systems or be used during</li> <li>Virtual Commissioning</li> <li>taking over layout data from <a href="/facts/Autocad/c83IAlgP">AutoCAD</a>, <a href="/facts/Microstation/B2ocw4xM">Microstation</a>, Factory CAD, etc. directly into the simulation.</li></ul></li> <li>Provides comprehensible analysis tools for detecting bottlenecks (Bottleneck Analyzer), for tracking the flow of materials (<a href="/facts/Sankey_diagram/Pz8B6WAt">Sankey diagrams</a>) or for detecting over-dimensioned resources (Chart Wizard).</li> <li>Provides integrated optimization tools: <ul><li>The Experiment Manager automatically creates scenarios or evaluates dependencies between two input parameters.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Genetic_algorithm/WP2AFWuW">Genetic algorithms</a> search large solution spaces.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Neural_network/DDhJTfMc">Neural networks</a> show the connection between input and output parameters and can be used for forecasting.</li></ul></li> <li>Data analysis: Detection of dependencies, <a href="/facts/Regression_analysis/n6z5Tf7K">Regression analysis</a>, best fitting function etc.</li></ul> <h2 id="scope-of-application">Scope of application</h2> <h3>Calculation of enterprise characteristics</h3> <p>Goal: </p> <ul><li>Detect and show problems which might otherwise cause costs and time-intensive correction measures during the ramp-up phase.</li> <li>Offer mathematically calculated <a href="/facts/Performance_indicator/qVbntaF8">key performance indicators (KPI)</a> instead of expert's "gut feelings."</li> <li>Reduce investment costs for production lines without endangering the required output quantities.</li> <li>Optimize the performance of existing production lines.</li> <li>Incorporate machine failures and availabilities (<a href="/facts/Mean_time_to_repair/EzvED7u8">MTTR</a>, <a href="/facts/MTBF/lWCg38LX">MTBF</a>) when calculating throughput numbers and utilization.</li></ul> <h3>Visualization</h3> <p>Plant Simulation can be used to display production both in 2D and 3D. The 3D display is especially helpful as a sales tool or for in-house communication of planned measures. In addition it allows to present the entire system concept within a virtual, interactive, immersive environment to non-simulation experts.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> The 3D engine is based on the industry standard <a href="/facts/JT_(visualization_format)/VHAHL5g9">JT format</a>. <a href="/facts/Computer-aided_design/5gSXrmmN">CAD</a> applications such as <a href="/facts/Siemens_NX/xmq4X4xs">NX</a>, <a href="/facts/Solid_Edge/TX7kWne2">Solid Edge</a> can export models in this format. The 3D data files can be imported in the <a href="/facts/JT_(visualization_format)/VHAHL5g9">JT format</a> '.jt' by using <a href="/facts/Drag-and-drop/7Xd8vXfn">Drag-and-drop</a>. </p> <h2 id="used-in">Used in</h2> <p>Plant Simulation is used in most industries, most noticeably: </p> <ul><li>Automotive industry<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> <a href="http://www.vda-ablaufsimulation.de/VDA_UAG_Ablaufsimulation">Automotive Industry Workgroup Material Flow Simulation</a>[<i>permanent dead link</i>]</li> <li>Automotive suppliers</li> <li>Aerospace <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a></li> <li>Plant manufacturing</li> <li>Mechanical engineering</li> <li>Process industry</li> <li>Electronics industry</li> <li>Consumer packaged goods industry <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a></li> <li>Airports</li> <li>Logistics companies (transport logistics, storage logistics and production logistics)</li> <li>High bay warehouse suppliers, suppliers of automated guided vehicle systems and electric overhead monorail systems</li> <li>Consulting houses and service providers</li> <li>Shipyards<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> <a href="http://www.simcomar.com/">Simulation Cooperation in the Maritime Industries</a>; SimCoMar is an interest group of shipyards and suppliers, universities and institutions engaged in the simulation of shipbuilding<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a></li> <li>Harbors, especially container terminals <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a></li> <li>Research and development purposes at universities and universities of applied science</li></ul> <h2 id="application-history">Application history</h2> <table><tbody><tr><th>Year</th><th>Company</th><th>Product name</th></tr><tr><td>1986</td><td>The <a href="/facts/Fraunhofer_Society/JS0cK2Qo">Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation</a> develops an object-oriented, hierarchical simulation program for the <a href="/facts/Apple_Macintosh/8GhnXTK0">Apple Macintosh</a></td><td>SIMPLE Mac for Apple Macintosh</td></tr><tr><td>1990</td><td>AIS (Angewande Informations Systeme, <a href="/facts/Stuttgart/H4DCyM2U">Stuttgart</a>) founded</td><td>SIMPLE++ (Simulation in Produktion Logistik and Engineering)</td></tr><tr><td>1991</td><td>AIS renamed to AESOP (Angewande EDV-Systeme zur optimierten Planung)</td><td>SIMPLE++ (Simulation in Produktion Logistik und Engineering)</td></tr><tr><td>1997</td><td>AESOP acquired by <a href="/facts/Tecnomatix/PsmeqBS7">Tecnomatix Ltd.</a></td><td>2000 SIMPLE++ renamed to eM-Plant</td></tr><tr><td>2004</td><td><a href="/facts/Tecnomatix/PsmeqBS7">Tecnomatix Ltd.</a> acquired by <a href="/facts/UGS_Corporation/DtPC6HWh">UGS Corporation</a></td><td>2005 eM-Plant renamed to Tecnomatix Plant Simulation</td></tr><tr><td>2007</td><td><a href="/facts/UGS_Corporation/DtPC6HWh">UGS Corporation</a> acquired by <a href="/facts/Siemens_AG/coa80TQn">Siemens AG</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a></td><td>Tecnomatix Plant Simulation</td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="further-reading">Further reading</h2> <ul><li>Steffen Bangsow: ‘Manufacturing Simulation with Plant Simulation and SimTalk Usage and Programming with Examples and Solutions’ Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg 2009, <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-3-642-05073-2.</li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P_u1yjofzY">Video: Plant Simulation Introduction Video</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.siemens.com/plm/PlantSimulation">Tecnomatix Plant Simulation on the Siemens Digital Industries Software official web page</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.siemens.com/PLM">Siemens Digital Industries Software official Webpage</a></li> <li><a href="https://community.plm.automation.siemens.com/t5/Tecnomatix/ct-p/assembly-manufacturing/">Open Tecnomatix Plant Simulation community and discussion forum</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120226120635/http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/about_us/success/case_study.cfm?Component=83015&ComponentTemplate=1481">Case Study</a> (Wayback Machine)</li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NEpP13K0MQ&list=PLYmizvoOkKeZ0UlSY_yl6E9NX1y2dAUuR">Series of demo videos</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"Plant Simulation". Siemens PLM. 2010. Archived from the original on 2009-08-03. Retrieved 2009-09-04. <a href="https://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/products/tecnomatix/plant_design/plant_simulation.shtml" target="_blank">https://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/products/tecnomatix/plant_design/plant_simulation.shtml</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"Tecnomatix Plant Simulation". 4D Systems. Archived from the original on 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2022-04-18. <a href="https://4dsysco.com/siemens-plm/tecnomatix/tecnomatix-plant-simulation" target="_blank">https://4dsysco.com/siemens-plm/tecnomatix/tecnomatix-plant-simulation</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Koenig, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus. "Visual simulation - an appropriate approach to support execution planning in building engineering" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2009-09-14. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110718060548/http://www.engr.psu.edu/convr/proceedings/papers/20_Konig_submission_7.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20110718060548/http://www.engr.psu.edu/convr/proceedings/papers/20_Konig_submission_7.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Jallas, Eric (February 2009). "Mechanistic Virtual Modeling: Coupling a Plant Simulation Model with a Three-dimensional Plant Architecture Component". Environmental Modeling and Assessment. 14 (1): 29–45. doi:10.1007/s10666-008-9164-4. ISSN 1420-2026. S2CID 110236902. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Heinrich, Stephan (2008). "Optimizing the Color Sorting Store" (PDF). Promasim. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-07. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110707002936/http://pro2855.plm-now.ch/bilder/Case_Study_Audi.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20110707002936/http://pro2855.plm-now.ch/bilder/Case_Study_Audi.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Hanreich, Klaus (May 2005). "To shorten process times and retain ontime delivery of maintenanced aerospace engines, MTU Aero Engines built a new assembly hall that it designed to stabilize maintenance processes that are effectively supported by materialflow-oriented production methods" (PDF). Aerospace Engineering. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2009-09-14. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110605060115/http://www.sae.org/aeromag/techfocus/05-2005/2-25-4-27.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20110605060115/http://www.sae.org/aeromag/techfocus/05-2005/2-25-4-27.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Hasenschwanz, Werner (January 2009). "PRACTICAL AND USEFUL RESULTS; Process simulation in a brewery" (PDF). BBII. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-04-15. Retrieved 2009-09-14. <a href="http://fzarchiv.sachon.de/index.php?pdf=Zeitschriftenarchiv/Getraenke-Fachzeitschriften/BBII/2009/01_09/BBII_01-09_38-41_Practical_and_useful_Results.pdf" target="_blank">http://fzarchiv.sachon.de/index.php?pdf=Zeitschriftenarchiv/Getraenke-Fachzeitschriften/BBII/2009/01_09/BBII_01-09_38-41_Practical_and_useful_Results.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Steinhauer, Dirk (2008). "Simulation Aided Production Planning in Shipyards" (PDF). Flensburger Shipyard.[permanent dead link] <a href="http://www.ewi.tudelft.nl/live/binaries/03589d39-d2d3-436d-8b39-a0e03e1093d4/doc/096%20Steinhauer%20et%20al_Simulation%20Aided%20Production%20Planning%20in%20Block%20Assembly.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.ewi.tudelft.nl/live/binaries/03589d39-d2d3-436d-8b39-a0e03e1093d4/doc/096%20Steinhauer%20et%20al_Simulation%20Aided%20Production%20Planning%20in%20Block%20Assembly.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Caprace, Jean-David (December 2006). "Minimization of Production Cost by use of an Automatic Cost Assessment Method and Simulation". Journal of Harbin Engineering University. 27 Suppl. The AsiaLink-EAMARNET International Conference on Ship Design, Production &Operation: 399–408. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2009-09-14. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160303202417/http://www.anast.ulg.ac.be/DownloadDocument.php?ID_ARTICLE=140" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20160303202417/http://www.anast.ulg.ac.be/DownloadDocument.php?ID_ARTICLE=140</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Park, Eun-Jung (December 2007). "A SIMULATION MODEL WITH A LOW LEVEL OF DETAIL FOR CONTAINER TERMINALS AND ITS APPLICATIONS" (PDF). Proceedings of the 2007 Winter Simulation Conference, page 2004-2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-04-29. Retrieved 2009-09-14. <a href="http://www.informs-sim.org/wsc07papers/249.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.informs-sim.org/wsc07papers/249.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>"Siemens AG to buy UGS". Dallas Business Journal. January 25, 2007. [dead link] <a href="http://sanantonio.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2007/01/22/daily40.html" target="_blank">http://sanantonio.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2007/01/22/daily40.html</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>