Bitte wählen Sie ihr Lieferland und ihre Kundengruppe
This paper describes the need for a database management system to support the effective use of simulation as a design tool for automated production systems. A relational database is chosen as the most suitable type of database management system for simulation purposes. The database design has a dual purpose, firstly to facilitate the integration of a complete planning system, in which simulation is used to evaluate systems layout alternatives, and secondly, to eliminate unnecessary effort on the part of the designer in managing the database during simulation modelling and use. The first part of this paper outlines a seven-stage planning procedure for the design of automated production systems and highlights the need for simulation as a system layout planning and evaluation tool. The general data requirements for developing a simulator are then reviewed and an analysis of automated production systems identifies the relevant data for the simulation of such systems. A case study of an automated production system is then presented and each stage in the development of a simulation model for the system, using a conventional simulation language, is described. As a result, the weaknesses in conventional simulation languages with respect to database management are revealed. An overview of database management systems is then given and relational database systems are selected as the most applicable database structure for simulation. Finally, the implementation of VAX Rdb to an internally-developed data-driven simulator for flexible assembly system is described.