Integrating Capacity Simulation into Process Planning

Process planning in the automotive industry is referred to as advance manufacturing engineering, because it is done in advance of production — before the facilities are created. When developing these processes, simulation is typically done by service groups, not the process planner, resulting in communication errors and unnecessary iterations. Software applications are now becoming available that not only simulate the production throughput objective of process planning, but other planning considerations such as process capability, material flow, ergonomics, and interferences. The impact of these simulation tools is put into perspective when considering the powertrain manufacturing engineering environment: process development time in years, cycle time accuracy in seconds, cost of the facility in hundreds of millions, and expected duration of the process in years. That is, a single expensive opportunity to implement a long-term investment, with verification done by “simulation” experts not intimately involved with the process. The future of simulation for me seems obvious!