In modern industry, it is crucial to make processes as efficient as possible. However, before new plants or expansions are implemented, companies are faced with numerous questions and conventional planning methods often reach their limits: processes do not run as expected, capacities are difficult to predict and adjustments during commissioning cost time and money. Anyone who relies solely on theoretical calculations for these issues is taking high risks. This is precisely where SCIO Digital's virtual throughput simulation comes in - an innovative method for testing and optimizing processes before they are implemented in reality.
Our current project at a renowned car manufacturer impressively demonstrates how companies can use simulation to gain realistic insights into their processes. In the customer's existing plant, 7 autonomous forklift trucks from our sister company 4am Robotics are already in use, supplemented by several manually controlled forklift trucks. The aim of the expansion was to replace the customer's remaining manual forklifts with additional autonomous forklifts from 4am. The simulation was to check whether the planned number of autonomous forklifts was sufficient to efficiently manage the material flow - without bottlenecks or unnecessary overcapacity.
The simulation created a detailed digital environment in which all processes were tested under realistic conditions. The special feature: The entire material flow simulation was based on real production data from the customer in order to deliver the most precise results possible.
The results showed that 8 additional autonomous forklifts (AFi-M) from 4am Robotics are required to reliably perform the necessary transportation tasks. In a working day of 17 hours, around 2390 pallet transports are carried out, including 1989 full pallets, 277 empty pallets, 96 empty lid racks and 23 unclear product pallets, which have to be checked separately.
The simulation begins with the delivery of full pallets to four sources. The pallets are scanned and picked up by the AMRs before being transported to the five designated sinks (destinations) at the conveyor belt stations, which direct the material to the next production steps.
A central aspect of the simulation is the consideration of real production fluctuations. In reality, production steps do not always run exactly every second. To compensate for these fluctuations, 180 buffer spaces are provided in 20 racks, each with 9 storage locations. Pallets that cannot be processed immediately are stored there temporarily. Another mechanism for process optimization is the variable delivery time of the AMRs at the stations. Not every forklift truck needs the same time to transfer a pallet - some vehicles only need 8 seconds, while others take up to 30 seconds. These varying transfer times of the AMRs are specifically simulated in order to create backlogs and reproduce a process that is as close to reality as possible.
At the same time, empties pallets are removed from ten sources and delivered to eight sinks, while lidded racks are transported from six sources to the corresponding storage locations. The unclear product pallets are delivered to seven separate sinks to enable a separate check.
Another advantage of virtual throughput simulation is the ability to realistically simulate unplanned faults. Random faults can occur in the simulation - for example, an AMR can fail at any point. The remaining vehicles must then adapt their routes and tasks in order to maintain the material flow. This makes it possible to simulate whether the fleet is able to efficiently compensate for such disruptions without causing significant delays.
A total of 3780 transport orders were successfully completed in the simulation, covering a total distance of approximately 276 km for the entire fleet. This data makes it possible to identify potential weak points and optimize them in advance.
In addition to process optimization, throughput simulation also enables employees to be trained at an early stage. With the help of VR headset, users can take a virtual tour of the system even before it is implemented. This gives them a detailed overview of the processes and allows them to familiarize themselves with the environment before commissioning. This means that staff are already trained before the system goes live.
This project impressively demonstrates how companies can use a virtual throughput simulation to avoid wrong decisions, make optimum use of resources and efficiently prepare for the start of production. Instead of encountering problems in reality, companies can validate and optimize their processes in advance and avoid costly mistakes.
SCIO Digital offers this throughput simulation for companies in various industries - from the automotive industry to manufacturing and logistics. With modern simulation models, material flows, capacities and processes can be realistically tested and optimized.
You can find more information about our innovative services here.