A Simulation-Based Real-Time Decision-Support Tool for Manufacturing

制造业最近的趋势被广泛认为是朝着更高的自动化和灵活性方向发展。伴随这些变化的是对改进决策工具的需要，特别是关于短期生产变化，如对不可预测事件的反应和生产需求的变化。然而，计算机模拟等经过验证的设计工具的转移尚未发生，限制了自动化生产率的潜在提高。该项目将调查对现有模拟技术的修改，以允许在控制制造设施时进行实时决策。这些新的模拟功能将允许生产调度员、工厂经理和其他必须对生产变化做出快速决策的人自动评估许多替代方案的性能，从而做出更好的决策和更高的生产率。预计这项技术将适用于任何制造设施，用于评估短期调度选项、维护政策、人员配备方案等。使用该技术开发的产品将在从微电子到汽车的广泛制造工艺中拥有巨大的市场。

Recent trends in manufacturing have broadly been identified to be toward greater automation and flexibility. Accompanying these changes has been a need for improved decision-making tools, especially regarding short-term production changes such as responses to unpredicted events and changes in production requirements. The transfer of proven design tools such as computer simulation, however, has not yet taken place, limiting the potential productivity improvements of automation. This project will investigate modifications of existing simulation technology to permit real-time decision-making in control of manufacturing facilities. These new simulation capabilities will permit production schedulers, factory managers, and others who must make rapid decision regarding production changes to automatically evaluate the performance of many alternatives, resulting in better decisions and greater productivity. It is expected that this technology will be applicable in any manufacturing facility for use in evaluation of short-term scheduling options, maintenance policies, staffing scenarios, etc. Products developed using this technology would have a significant market across a broad spectrum of manufacturing processes, from microelectronics to automobiles.