Based on the competition of international production networks, the pressure to - crease the efficiency of production systems has increased significantly. In ad- tion, the number of technical components in many products and as a consequence also the requirements for corresponding assembly processes and logistics pr- esses increases. International logistics networks require corresponding logistics concepts. These requirements can be managed only by using appropriate Digital Factory tools in the context of a product lifecycle management environment, which allows reusing data, supports an effective cooperation between different departments, and provides up-to-date and relevant data to every user who needs it. Simulating the complete material flow including all relevant production, st- age, and transport activities is recognized as a key component of the Digital F- tory in the industry and as of today widely used and accepted. Cutting inventory and throughput time by 20–60% and enhancing the productivity of existing p- duction facilities by 15–20% can be achieved in real-life projects.

This book systematically introduces the development of simulation models as well as the implementation and evaluation of simulation experiments with Tecnomatix Plant Simulation. It deals with all users of Plant Simulation, who have more complex tasks to handle. It also looks for an easy entry into the program. Particular attention has been paid to introduce the simulation flow language SimTalk and its use in various areas of the simulation. The author demonstrates with over 200 examples how to combine the blocks for simulation models and how to deal with SimTalk for complex control and analysis tasks. The contents of this book ranges from a description of the basic functions of the material flow blocks to demanding topics such as the realization of a database-supported warehouse control by using the SQLite interface or the exchange of data by using XML, ActiveX, COM or DDE.

This book reports on topics at the interface between manufacturing, mechanical and chemical engineering. It gives a special emphasis to CAD/CAE systems, information management systems, advanced numerical simulation methods and computational modeling techniques, and their use in product design, industrial process optimization and in the study of the properties of solids, structures and fluids. Control theory, ICT for engineering education as well as ecological design and food technologies are also among the topics discussed in the book. Based on the International Conference on Design, Simulation, Manufacturing: The Innovation Exchange (DSMIE-2018), held on June 12-15, 2018, in Sumy, Ukraine, the book provides academics and professionals with a timely overview and extensive information on trends and technologies behind current and future developments of Industry 4.0, innovative design and renewable energy generation.

Over the last decades Discrete Event Simulation has conquered many different application areas. This trend is, on the one hand, driven by an ever wider use of this technology in different fields of science and on the other hand by an incredibly creative use of available software programs through dedicated experts. This book contains articles from scientists and experts from 10 countries. They illuminate the width of application of this technology and the quality of problems solved using Discrete Event Simulation. Practical applications of simulation dominate in the present book. The book is aimed to researchers and students who deal in their work with Discrete Event Simulation and which want to inform them about current applications. By focusing on discrete event simulation, this book can also serve as an inspiration source for practitioners for solving specific problems during their work. Decision makers who deal with the question of the introduction of discrete event simulation for planning support and optimization this book provides a contribution to the orientation, what specific problems could be solved with the help of Discrete Event Simulation within the organization.

Discrete event simulation and agent-based modeling are increasingly recognized as critical for diagnosing and solving process issues in complex systems. Introduction to Discrete Event Simulation and Agent-based Modeling covers the techniques needed for success in all phases of simulation projects. These include: • Definition – The reader will learn how to plan a project and communicate using a charter. • Input analysis – The reader will discover how to determine defensible sample sizes for all needed data collections. They will also learn how to fit distributions to that data. • Simulation – The reader will understand how simulation controllers work, the Monte Carlo (MC) theory behind them, modern verification and validation, and ways to speed up simulation using variation reduction techniques and other methods. • Output analysis – The reader will be able to establish simultaneous intervals on key responses and apply selection and ranking, design of experiments (DOE), and black box optimization to develop defensible improvement recommendations. • Decision support – Methods to inspire creative alternatives are presented, including lean production. Also, over one hundred solved problems are provided and two full case studies, including one on voting machines that received international attention. Introduction to Discrete Event Simulation and Agent-based Modeling demonstrates how simulation can facilitate improvements on the job and in local communities. It allows readers to competently apply technology considered key in many industries and branches of government. It is suitable for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researchers and other professionals.

At the crossroads of artificial intelligence, manufacturing engineering, operational research and industrial engineering and management, multi-agent based production planning and control is an intelligent and industrially crucial technology with increasing importance. This book provides a complete overview of multi-agent based methods for today’s competitive manufacturing environment, including the Job Shop Manufacturing and Re-entrant Manufacturing processes. In addition to the basic control and scheduling systems, the author also highlights advance research in numerical optimization methods and wireless sensor networks and their impact on intelligent production planning and control system operation. Enables students, researchers and engineers to understand the fundamentals and theories of multi-agent based production planning and control Written by an author with more than 20 years’ experience in studying and formulating a complete theoretical system in production planning technologies Fully illustrated throughout, the methods for production planning, scheduling and controlling are presented using experiments, numerical simulations and theoretical analysis Comprehensive and concise, Multi-Agent Based Production Planning and Control is aimed at the practicing engineer and graduate student in industrial engineering, operational research, and mechanical engineering. It is also a handy guide for advanced students in artificial intelligence and computer engineering.

Changing world market conditions have forced manufacturers to apply new architectures and technologies for the design and control of manufacturing systems. Distributed Manufacturing: Paradigm, Concepts, Solutions and Examples outlines the current requirements of manufacturing systems and addresses the architectures, methodologies, and technologies developed within European research activities in response to these requirements. Distributed Manufacturing: Paradigm, Concepts, Solutions and Examples will be of interest to researchers and developers in all fields involving industrial control systems, as well as to decision-makers within industry and government organizations. The reader will gain a detailed knowledge of the current research directions in industrial control, reaching a comprehensive understanding of current advances, their expected benefits and limitations, and the possible consequences for industrial businesses.