A SIMULATION-BASED REAL-TIME DECISION-SUPPORT TOOL FOR MANUFACTURING

RECENT TRENDS IN MANUFACTURING HAVE BROADLY BEEN IDENTIFIED TO BE TOWARD GREATER AUTOMATION AND FLEXIBILITY. ACCOMPANYING THESE CHANGES HAS BEEN A NEED FOR IMPROVED DECISION-MAKING TOOLS, ESPECIALLY REGARDING SHORT-TERM PRODUCTION CHANGES SUCH AS RESPONSES TO UNPREDICTED EVENTS AND CHANGES IN PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS. THE TRANSFER OF PROVEN DESIGN TOOLS SUCH AS COMPUTER SIMULATION, HOWEVER, HAS NOT YET TAKEN PLACE, LIMITING THE POTENTIAL PRODUCTIVITYIMPROVEMENTS OF AUTOMATION. THIS RESEARCH WILL INVESTIGATE MODIFICATIONS OF EXISTING SIMULATION TECHNOLOGY TO PERMIT REAL-TIME DECISION-MAKING IN CONTROL OF MANUFACTURING FACILITIES. THESE NEW SIMULATION CAPABILITIES WOULD PERMIT PRODUCTION SCHEDULERS, FACTORY MANAGERS, AND OTHERS WHO MUST MAKE RAPID DECISIONS REGARDING PRODUCTION CHANGES TO AUTOMATICALLY EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE OF MANY ALTERNATIVES, RESULTING IN BETTER DECISIONS AND GREATER PRODUCTIVITY. THIS TECHNOLOGY COULD BE APPLIED IN ANY MANUFACTURING FACILITY FOR USE IN EVALUATION OF SHORT-TERM SCHEDULING OPTIONS, MAINTENANCE POLICIES, STAFFING SCENARIOS, ETC. PRODUCTS DEVELOPED USING THIS TECHNOLOGY WOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT MARKET ACROSS A BROAD SPECTRUM OF MANUFACTURING PROCESSES, FROM MICROELECTRONICS TO AUTOMOBILES. THE INCREASES IN PRODUCTIVITY REALIZED THROUGH APPLICATION OF BETTER DECISION-MAKING TOOLS SUCH AS THESE WOULD PLACE THE UNITED STATES IN A MORE COMPETITIVE STANCE IN WORLD MARKETS, DECREASING PRODUCTION COSTS AND UTILIZING MUCH MOREEFFECTIVELY AVAILABLE PRODUCTION RESOURCES.