Automate material flow simulations

Production planners encounter machine utilization, throughput times and other key figures on a daily basis. Previous forecasts of such values were based on assumptions and rules of thumb and were therefore very vague. When planning new production systems or processes, however, a reliable estimate of performance is essential in view of the high investments involved.

State of the art

Existing software does offer this option, but often at a high price that is uneconomical for many SMEs. The transfer of machine data to the respective desktop application is also complicated. It requires third-party systems or manual data transfer, as many applications do not have open and standardized interfaces. This reduces efficiency and increases the error rate.

Technology

The Python package "prodsys", developed by researchers at the Institute of Production Engineering (wbk) and industry partners, offers an alternative. It models, simulates and optimizes production systems. The application can be operated as a software development kit in Python or with common web technologies on your own web server. The calculations are performed on the server side, the results are fed back while the data itself remains internal. Online calculations save enormous amounts of computer capacity.
Times, processes, etc. for the basic configuration are defined manually and sent to the web server as a compact JSON file. The parameters can be changed via an interface (API) without having to import a new file. Further interfaces to ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) or other systems can be implemented using the open source concept and the open interfaces of the API itself.

Advantages

Prodsys is used for the efficient modelling, simulation and optimization of discrete production processes. The web server can be operated without in-depth programming knowledge. A major advantage of the development is the simple integration into the existing operational IT (SAP or MES systems). If key figures are defined as production optimization targets, the software calculates suitable options for achieving them. This opens up the potential for fully automated production planning and control.

Options for companies

As the development originates from a research project with industry requirements, it is designed for practical use and is already being used in pilot projects, with the features constantly being expanded. KIT is looking for partners from industry to further develop and strengthen the prodsys community.