1. Lab Module 03 Serial Manufacturing Line – Part II
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2. Objectives and Outline
Lab Objectives
Continue learning basic Simio modeling
Learn the event mode for the Source object
Learn about buffer capacities for the Server Object
Learn about reference properties
Learn the basics of dynamic pie charts and status plots
Lab Outline
Video 1 – Describe the system and develop the initial Simio model.
Video 2 – Add buffer capacities, introduce and use reference properties.
Video 3 – Described Resource States and added pie charts and status plots.
Video 4 – Assignments.
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3. Video 1 – System Description and Initial Model
Capacity Analysis
Parts are continuously available (infinite supply) and there is infinite demand (i.e., we can sell all that we can make)
Processing times at each station are exponential with mean of 1 minute. The buffers between stations are finite and we’re interested in determining the impact of buffer size on system capacity.
Copyright © Jeffrey S. Smith and Simio LLC | All Rights Reserved

4. Video 2 – Capacitated Buffers and Reference PropertiesM1 M2 M3 M4
Capacity Analysis
Parts are continuously available (infinite supply) and there is infinite demand (i.e., we can sell all that we can make)
Processing times at each station are exponential with mean of 1 minute. The buffers between stations are finite and we’re interested in determining the impact of buffer size on system capacity.
Copyright © Jeffrey S. Smith and Simio LLC | All Rights Reserved

5. Reference Properties
Using a reference to a model property to specify the value for an object property.
Copyright © Jeffrey S. Smith and Simio LLC | All Rights Reserved

6. Video 3 – ResourceStates, Pie Charts, Status PlotsM1 M2 M3 M4
Capacity Analysis
Parts are continuously available (infinite supply) and there is infinite demand (i.e., we can sell all that we can make)
Processing times at each station are exponential with mean of 1 minute. The buffers between stations are finite and we’re interested in determining the impact of buffer size on system capacity.
Copyright © Jeffrey S. Smith and Simio LLC | All Rights Reserved

7. Video 3 – ResourceStates, Pie Charts, Status Plots
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8. Processing Time Distribution
Video 4 - Assignments
Create experiment responses for the average numbers of parts in the buffers between M1 and M2, M2 and M3, and M3 and M4.
Create a status plot showing the average numbers of parts in the same buffers.
For the following three configurations, assume that you have 20 total buffer slots to distribute between the three buffers (i.e., (7, 3, 10) has a capacity 7 buffer between M1 and M2, a capacity 3 buffer between M2 and M3, and a capacity 10 buffer between M3 and M4). Find the buffer allocation that maximizes throughput of the line.
Processing Time Distribution M1 M2 M3 M4 A
Exponential(1)
Exponential(1.1)
Exponential(1.2) B
Triangular(.5, 1, 1.5) C
Uniform(1, 2)
Uniform(.5, 2.5)
Exponential(1.5)
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9. Video 4 - Assignments
Supposed that there is a 5% probably of fallout at each machine. In other words, 5% of parts processed at each machine are bad and exit the system without proceeding to the “next” machine in the system. Modify your model to reflect this change.
Determine whether the optimal buffer configurations from question 3 change as a result of the part fallout.
Note that you should justify your choice of
Replication length;
Warmup period length; and
Number of replications
for questions 3 and 5
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