A data enabled operation-based simulation for automotive assembly

A data driven simulation method for real-time decision making on assembly system is necessary in smart assembly. By analyzing an example automotive assembly line, the useful plant floor information for simulation are drawn and collected. An E-R model of the plant floor information is set up to describe the relationship among entities and bridge the assembly shop floor information and simulation models. An operation-based simulation model of assembly line is built to accommodate different combination of basic task elements in stations when production schedules are changed according to labor resources and line throughput. Using the Arena software, automatic generation of simulation models has been realized based on the physical layout data of assembly line. Different operation-based production data are used to illustrate the data driven or enabled simulation method by primary experiments.