Abstract:
Competition in the global economic scenario has led to the use of simulation in
many areas such as manufacturing, health systems, military systems and
transportation. With the importance of simulation in supporting decision making
and operations, model building has been recognised as one of the crucial steps
in simulation studies. However, model building is not as easy as it may seem. It
can be time-consuming and expensive, and requires special training, skills and
experience. This research, therefore, aims to investigate a new method to
rapidly build a simulation model based on the classification of problems in
assembly lines using a cladistics technique and template approach.
Three objectives were established in order to achieve the aim and a four-stage
research programme was developed according to these objectives. The first
stage starts by developing a thorough understanding of and collecting typical
problems in assembly lines. The next stage formulates the classification of
problems and the main deliverable is a cladogram, a tree structure that can be
used to represent the evolution of problems and their characteristics. The third
stage focuses on the development of a proof-of-concept prototype based on an
established classification and template approach. The prototype helps users to
develop a model by providing the physical elements and specific elements
required for the performance measures analysis. The prototype is then tested
and validated in the final stage. The results show that the prototype developed
can help to rapidly build a simulation model and reduce model development
time.
