3/17/2018 Automotive Applications of Discrete Event Simulation : Automotive Design & Production

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Automotive Applications of Discrete

Event Simulation
The automotive industry has used discrete event simulation for many years to
investigate the capabilities of the different manufacturing systems involved in building
automobiles. Here we will look at the use of simulation in body shops, paint shops,
trim/chassis/ nal, engine assembly, machining and stamping.

Article Post: 7/1/1997

By Matt Rohrer and Bucky Strong

Body Shops

Simulation of body shop systems during the concept, design and build phases of a
product life cycle allows a company to investigate the impact that new tooling, conveyor
and material delivery will have on throughput.

There are two different strategies used to analyze the system characteristics of a body
shop. The rst is to model the body shop at the station level of detail. The second is to
model the body shop at the line or subassembly level of detail.

The station-level simulation model is used to analyze the stand alone capability of a
subassembly area. Station cycle times and downtimes are entered into a simulation
model and the subassembly throughput is estimated. The subassembly throughput can be

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compared directly to the body shop target throughput. The subassembly throughput must
be greater than the full body shop throughput or new design of the subassembly area
would be needed.

If complex manual operations occur at a station, these operations can be added to the
station level model. Modeling the walk, pickup and set down times can identify if an
individual station can meet the required cycle time for the subassembly area.

While the station-level analysis of the subassembly areas is happening, a line level model
can be developed. The throughput estimates from the individual subassembly models are
entered into the line level model and the conveyor systems are modeled in detail. The
interaction between the subassemblies and the conveyor systems can be used to identify
sets of subassemblies or individual subassemblies that bottleneck the body shop. Sizing
of the conveyor can be accomplished by increasing buffer between bottleneck
subassembly areas and reducing buffer between non-bottleneck areas. This process
continues through the design phase.

An alternative to this approach is to integrate all of the subassembly models into one large
detailed model. Any time a subassembly changes or the conveyor layout changes, the
model is updated to analyze the full body shop system.

The full body shop model is also used to investigate the impact that operational
parameters have on the system once it is implemented. The operational parameters can
include: preventative maintenance, reducing mean time to repair, batch sizing, and
overtime. Changing operational parameters and identifying their impact on system
performance will show the opportunities for increasing system performance and will aid in
the prioritization of funding.

An additional analysis that occurs in the body shop is the delivery of materials to the line
locations. This analysis investigates the impact of the number of fork trucks, fork truck
assignments, the amount of stock at the line, the location of storage areas, the locations
of docks, and the number of docks on delays caused by parts not present at the line. In
the concept phase, this analysis can in uence the location of subassemblies and identify
strategic locations for stock to minimize the material delivery times.

Paint Shops

When automotive paint shops are simulated, the focus is usually on the power-and-free
conveyor systems that transport parts through the painting operations. Power-and-free
systems are different from other conveyors because of carriers that x themselves to the
drive chain by means of a hooking mechanism called a "dog." When two different speed
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chains merge, carriers can accumulate and are picked up by the dogs on the new chain.
There are two types of chains: production chains (low speed), which are while parts are
being painted, and transport chains (high speed), to move parts between different
production areas.

During the design phase of a paint system, the power-and-free layout is evaluated using
simulation to determine if throughput goals can be met. Power-and-free systems can
contain miles of production and transport chain in different connecting sub-systems used
to transport different part types. Simulation is used to determine the number of carriers
required, how chain merges and transfers will operate, and whether adequate
accumulation is provided. In some areas where higher density empty carrier storage is
required, carriers are rotated before accumulation, which is called "bias banking." The size
of bias bank buffers can be evaluated using simulation.

Simulation is used while operating a paint system to determine the effects of adding
different body styles and paint types to existing lines. As model years change and vehicle
paint options proliferate, it becomes necessary to modify existing paint lines to handle the
changing requirements. Simulation provides a "test bed" where production requirement
changes can be evaluated prior to making any changes to the existing system. This
reduces system downtime during changeover, and also gives operators and managers
greater con dence that the changes can be accommodated.

Trim/Chassis/Final

Trim, chassis, and nal assembly (TCF) systems are where all the parts are assembled to
form a completed vehicle. Simulation helps determine how all the TCF assembly sub-
systems will interact and what the production capacity of the facility will be. TCF plants
include manual and automated assembly stations, with buffers in between stations to
allow for the randomness in cycle times from one job to the next.

During the design phase for TCF, the layout is evaluated to determine the e ciency of ow.
Parts are usually received just in time and delivered directly to the assembly line. Smooth,
e cient ow of parts between dock doors and the line is important. Additionally, during
the design phase a line balance is performed to determine the work requirements at each
assembly station. Simulation is used to evaluate the line balance under dynamic
conditions. In a TCF, as in most manual assembly applications, every job's cycle time will
be slightly different. Simulation can represent the randomness seen in the real world,
which helps determine the interactions between stations on the line. Buffering between
stations is evaluated by simulation as well. Buffers provide enough jobs between stations
so that assembly line workers are blocked or starved as little as possible.

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Design phase simulation can also include a downtime analysis of the TCF facility. TCF
simulation should include downtime of subassembly areas, like the door and engine lines,
to determine actual system throughput and identify buffering requirements.

Operation of a TCF can be enhanced using a simulation. Vehicle mix changes and
increasing production requirements can be tested using an "as-built" model of the facility.
Simulation can be used to answer questions like:

"What do we change to get two more jobs per hour?"

"What happens if we change tire suppliers, with a different delivery schedule?"
"Why is there always a backup prior to the engine line?"

Engine Assembly

Simulation of engine assembly areas allows a company to investigate the impact that new
equipment, conveyor, and material delivery will have on throughput during the concept,
design, and build phases of a product life cycle.

The analysis of engine assembly facilities generally focuses on the engine assembly line,
the feeder lines and the delivery conveyor, and material delivery through the facility. Engine
assembly line designs vary widely from completely non-synchronous systems to
synchronous areas separated by non-synchronous sections.

The cycle time and downtime for each station and synchronous section are input into the
engine assembly line simulation. The effects of starvation from the feeder lines are also
added to the model. The system capabilities can then be estimated from the model, and
bottlenecks can be identi ed. The conveyor between stations can stretch and shrink
between stations and synchronous sections, and the number of pallets can be increased
or decreased to try and increase throughput. Additionally, complexity may be transferred
from one station to another to reduce the downtime at a station.

Feeder lines, like the piston assembly area, are also modeled in detail to investigate their
impact on the engine assembly line throughput. A similar analysis to the body shop
analysis is made when trying to identify if the feeder lines should be integrated into one
large model. Computer performance, model detail, and model maintenance are
considerations that each project team must evaluate when determining which method to
select.

Engine assembly plants also model the material delivery within the facility. This analysis
investigates the impact of the number of fork trucks, fork truck assignments, the amount
of stock at the engine assembly line, the location of storage areas, the locations of docks,
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and the number of docks on delays caused by parts not present at the engine assembly
line or feeder lines. In the concept phase, this analysis can in uence the location of the
feeder areas and identify strategic locations for stock to minimize material delivery times.

Machining

Simulation of machining areas allows a company to investigate the impact that new
equipment, conveyor, and production schedule will have on throughput during the concept,
design, and build phases of a product life cycle.

Machining models investigate the impact of synchronous machining areas separated by

conveyor and the impact on system performance. These analyses are similar to engine
assembly lines.

An additional consideration in machining areas is what batch sizes to produce, and what
shift pattern is needed to minimize the interaction with the assembly areas. Traditionally,
machining lines have longer downtimes and setup times than engine assembly areas.
Assembly areas often try to reduce the batch sizes they build to satisfy downstream
demand. Because of the con icting needs from the two different areas, analysis of batch
size and production schedule are important to minimize the interaction between the
systems.

Stamping

In stamping plants, simulation helps determine the number of stamping machines

required, and how they should be con gured. Stamping also has scheduling requirements
where simulation based scheduling can answer sequencing questions.

When designing a stamping plant, the goals are to streamline the ow of material while
minimizing the amount of capital equipment required. Simulation can report not only the
production of a stamping plant, but also the utilization of each piece of equipment. Flow
of parts between machines is performed by a combination of manually operated fork
trucks and automated equipment. Simulation can help determine the right mix of
automated to manual transportation, along with testing the capacity of the transportation
equipment.

When operating a stamping facility, proper scheduling of equipment and human resources
plays an important role in facility performance. Setups, tool and xture requirements,
preventative maintenance, and other factors in uence stamping performance. Simulation

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based scheduling tools allow for detailed models that answer equipment sequencing
questions. Scheduling tools help determine the sequence that each machine and operator
should follow to meet delivery and production requirements.

*AutoSimulations is a founding member of Sim.TECH, the simulation software vendors'

association. For a complete listing of members, or more information, visit http://www.sim-
tech.org. Or contact its executive director, William Hakanson, at (412) 781-3255. AD&P 

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