Effective simulation model reuse: a case study for AMHS modeling

The application of simulation as a performance estimation tool in automated material handling system design is well documented, as is the amount of time required to build, debug, and analyze a typical AMHS simulation model. In the rapid growth, high technology industry, it is infeasible to continually employ sufficient staff to create unique models of all of the possible scenarios that require examination. Typically, the model is not complete before the project requirements have been modified. An alternative to unique model creation is to reuse an existing generic model. Generic models are similar to a group of software tools called simulators: software packages that contain a pre-programmed model. Investigation has indicated that a special purpose reusable generic model, designed to address the set of issues faced by a specific commercial entity, is efficient and necessary for fast model turnaround. If correctly developed, the generic model could be reused, thereby reducing model building time as well as increasing simulation accuracy. The paper discusses the use of such a model and illustrates the improvement to model build cycle time