Entity

Transfer

Chapter 8

Last revision August 26, 2005

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What We’ll Do ...
• Types of Entity Transfers
• Model 8-1: Resource-Constrained Transfers
• Models 8-2, 8-3: Transporters
• Conveyors
 Model 8-4: Non-accumulating
 Model 8-5: Accumulating

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Types of Entity Transfers So Far
• Connect
 Zero-delay
 Connection graphic vs. module Labels (no graphic)
• Route
 Non-zero-delay — constant, r.v., expression
 Stations, animated Routes
 Fixed routes vs. entity-dependent Sequences
• Connect and Route both assume:
 No limit on number in transit at a time
 Entities have their own feet

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New Types of Entity Transfers
• Resource-constrained transfers
 Limit total number of entities in transit at a time
 Entities still have their own feet
 Telecommunications (number of packets),
logistics (number of vehicles)
• Material-handling devices
 Transporters – fork lifts, trucks, carts, wheelchairs
– Usually place limits on numbers, capabilities of transporters
– Like a Resource, except moveable
 Conveyors
– Belts, hook lines, escalators, freeways
– Usually limit space on conveyor, speed
– Non-accumulating vs. accumulating
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Model 8-1: Small Manufacturing System
with Resource-Constrained Transfers
• Original system (Model 7-1) assumptions
 All transfer times = 2 minutes … keep (for now)
 Parts have their own feet … keep (for now)
 No limit on number of parts in transit at a time … dump
– Now – no more than 2 parts can be in motion at a given time
– If other parts are ready to go, they must wait until there’s room to go
• Model via existing constructs — think creatively
 Model “space” on the “road” as a Resource
 Limit the number of Units of this Resource
 Entity must Seize unit of “space” resource before beginning
trip, Release it at end of trip

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Two Ways to Model Resource-
Constrained Transfers
• Both use a new Transfer Resource representing
space on the transitways
 Capacity set to 2 in Resource data module
• Maybe the most obvious way (but won’t do) …
 Before each Route module insert a Seize module to Seize
one unit of Transfer (queue, priority details … see text)
 After each Station module (except Order Release) insert
a Release module to free up one unit of Transfer
 Shared vs. separate queues (details in text)
 Can’t animate entity movement

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Two Ways to Model Resource-
Constrained Transfers (cont’d.)
• Different way (will do, to illustrate new modules,
set up for transporters and conveyors)
 Replace Route modules with Leave modules (Advanced
Transfer panel)
– Transfer Out: Seize unit of Transfer resource before leaving
station
Resource, Resource Set, particular member of a Resource Set
Can specify priorities
– Also contains the Route-module logic, options
– Get individual queues, with animation, for parts waiting to go
 Replace Station modules with Enter modules (Advanced
Transfer panel)
– Defines the Station
– Option of an unload Delay time (0 for this model)
– Transfer In: Release Transfer resource
• Effect – slight increase in cycle times in system
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Transporter Concepts
• Carts, fork lifts, trucks, wheelchairs, people, …
• When entity is ready to go somewhere, it needs
to be “picked up” and moved
• Use Transporters — “moveable” resources
• Activities: Request, Transport, Free
 Transporter Selection Rule: If > 1 transporter is available
when Requesting
 When freed and > 1 entity is waiting: Priorities, closest one
• Two types of Transporters
 Free-Path (will do)
– Travel time depends only on velocity, distance
– Ignore “traffic jams” and their resulting delays
 Guided (won’t do)
– AGVs, intersections, etc.
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The Small Manufacturing System with
Transporters
• Have two carts to transport parts
 A cart can carry one part at a time
 Carts move at 50 feet/minute
– Will need to specify accurate distances between Stations
 It takes 0.25 minute to load part on a cart, 0.25 minute to
unload it from a cart
• Modify Model 8-1 to Model 8-2

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The Small Manufacturing System with
Transporters (cont’d.)
• Create Transporter in Transporter data module
(Advanced transfer panel)
 Name = Cart, Number of Units = 2, Velocity = 50
 Default the Distance Set (later), Units = Per Minute, Initial
Positions
– Mind the units – consistency here, in Distance Set (later)
• Animation picture for Cart Transporter
 Transporter button , Animate Transfer toolbar
 Identifier = Cart, pictures for Idle, Busy, Inactive states
 Draw or copy from .plb picture libraries
 Ride point (details in book)
 Drop it anywhere in flowchart view (hidden during run)
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The Small Manufacturing System with
Transporters (cont’d.)
• Request a Cart – modify existing Leave modules
 Delay = 0.25 Minute for load time
 Transfer Out = Request Transporter
 Transporter Name = Cart
 Selection Rule = Smallest Distance
– Applies when > 1 transporter is available
– Others: Cyclic, Random, Preferred Order, Largest Distance (???)
 Save Attribute = Cart # (remember which cart … for later)
 Connect Type = Transport
– Move Time disappears … determined by Velocity, Distances (later)
 Station Type = By Sequence
• Instead of Leave: Request-Delay-Transport
 More complex, more flexible – details, examples in text
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The Small Manufacturing System with
Transporters (cont’d.)
• Free the Cart – modify existing Enter modules
 Delay = 0.25 Minute for unload time
 Transfer In = Free Transporter
 Transporter Name = Cart
 Unit Number = Cart # attribute of part entity
• Instead of Enter: Station-Delay-Free
 More complex, more flexible – book has details, examples

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Distances for Transporters
• Define contents of Distance Set Cart.Distance
• Distances (in feet) moved by parts:

Units!!

 Blank cells: part movements that don’t occur

• Enter these data in Distance data module
(Advanced Transfer panel)
 Name = Cart.Distance
 Stations button, add 11 rows with Beginning Station, Ending
Station, Distance for above data Units!!

 Direction is implied; could be asymmetric Why are there 25 rows?

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Animating Transporter Movement
• Add distances to animation
• Delete all the old Route Path animation objects
 But leave the Station animations
• Add animated transporter distances with
Distance button , Animate Transfer toolbar
 Dialog, placement similar to Route Paths
 Identifier = Cart.Distance
 Select “From” Station, “To” Station
 Options for Rotate, Flip
 Single-click to create “From” Station marker, then clicks for
corners, then double-click to create “To” Station marker
 Snap to Grid to help place animated transporter distances
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Parking Areas for Transporters
• Animate transporters when they’re free
• Parking button , Animate Transfer toolbar
 Like a Queue animation – Point vs. Line, Shift, Rotate
 Cursor becomes cross hairs, click near lower left of Station
marker to start, click for first Point or head of Line
 More clicks for more Points (double-click to end), or second
click to end Line
 Want enough points/space for all transporters (2 here)
 Repeat for all Stations where Transporters could be freed

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More Distances — Empty Transporters
• Above Distances incomplete — only for part
movements along their sequences
• Transporters must also move when empty
(deadheading)
 In general, n(n - 1) distances need definition for network
with n nodes
 Some not possible — Order Release to Exit System
• 14 more distances to define in Distances data
module (not grayed):

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Model 8-3: Refining the Animation for
Transporters
• Part Entities disappear from animation when
waiting to be picked up by a Cart Transporter
after Transporter has been allocated
 Model logic OK … get right answers … animation is flawed
 Actually, animation is OK when part’s waiting before
Transporter is allocated
• Solution – Storage for entity to reside in, be
animated, while it waits for something (here, a
Cart Transporter)
 Can get statistics on numbers in Storages
• But Storages not available with modules from
Advanced Transfer panel
 Use lower-level SIMAN modules from Blocks panel … see
book for specific details
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Conveyors
• Replace Transporters with a conveyor
• Loop conveyor to follow main path, clockwise
• Six entrance/exit points
 Load, Unload takes 0.25 minute
 Each part is 4 feet per side, but want 6 feet of conveyor
space for clearance on corners
• Speed = 20 feet/minute Units!!

• Distances:

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Conveyor Concepts
• Entity to be conveyed must wait for space
• Conveyor consists of cells
 Equal size, constantly moving – think of a narrow escalator
• Entities might require multiple contiguous cells
• Must define cell size; tradeoff involved:
 Small cells: accurate model but slow execution
 Large cells: just the opposite!
• Entities Access space, Convey, and Exit
• Conveyor = series of linear Segments
 Each segment starts and ends at a Station
 Link to form loops, diverge points, converge points

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Types of Conveyors
• Both travel in a single, irreversible direction
• Nonaccumulating: belt, bucket line, escalator
 Spacing between entities on it doesn’t change
 Entire conveyor stops for entity Access/Exit if Load/Unload
time is > 0
• Accumulating: rollers, freeway
 Conveyor never stops moving
 If entity on it stops to Exit, other entities behind it are
blocked and bunch up (entities ahead of it keep moving)
 When blockage ends, blocked entities go on but maybe not
all at once (spacing requirements)

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Model 8-4: Small Manufacturing System
with Nonaccumulating Conveyors
• Modify Model 8-1 (resource-constrained transfer)
• Define new Variables Load Time and Unload
Time, each with initial value 0.25
• Delete all the Route Paths
• Define Conveyor via Conveyor data module,
Advanced Transfer panel
 Conveyer = Loop Conveyor
 Segment Name = Loop Conveyor.Segment
 Type = Non-Accumulating
 Velocity = 20 (feet), Units = Per Minute Units!!
 Cell Size = 3 (feet) Units!!
 Max Cells Occupied = 2 (cells per entity)

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Leave, Enter Modules for Conveyor
• Change each Leave module
 Delay = Load Time, Units = Minutes
 Transfer Out = Access Conveyor
 Conveyor Name = Loop Conveyor
 # of Cells = 2
 Connect Type = Convey
• Change each Enter module
 Delay = Unload Time, Units = Minutes
 Transfer In = Exit Conveyor
 Conveyor Name = Loop Conveyor

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Conveyor Segments
• Define one-way lengths (in feet) of segments
• Segment data module, Advanced Transfer panel
 Name = Loop Conveyor.Segment
 Beginning Station = Order Release
 Next Stations button
– Name Next Stations in correct sequence
– Give distance in correct units (feet, here) to this next station
• Segment animation
 Put Station markers in front of each Resource picture
 Segment button , Animate Transfer toolbar
 Dialog, crosshairs, clicking just like Distances for
Transporters
– Except here, have to place only 6 Segment animations
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Conveyor Statistics
• Run > Setup > Project Parameters to check
Conveyor Statistics
• Get percent of time blocked (stopped)
• Utilization statistic is average percent of space
occupied on conveyor (not percent of time that a
part was on the conveyor)
• To see conveyor stop (it’s nonaccumulating)
more clearly, change Load Time and Unload
Time to much greater values than 0.25
 Could do this during run with VBA (Chapter 10), or Run
Controller – see text for details – but makes output statistics
nearly impossible to interpret
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Model 8-5: Change Conveyors to
Accumulating
• Conveyor module
 Change Conveyor Type to Accumulating
 Accumulation Length = 4 (in feet), amount of space the
accumulated parts need on the conveyor
• Running, see very little accumulation in
animation
 To see more, increase Load Time and Unload Time

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