Simulation for optimization of window and door manufacturing process

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The employment of continuous improvement strategies enables companies to continually discover areas for**improvement and implement new and better ways of accomplishing tasks. All Weather Windows, a window**and door manufacturer based in Edmonton, Alberta, is seeking innovative solutions to boost its**competitiveness in an evolving market, including changes based on process improvements and automation. To**accomplish this, this project will (1) quantify the current state of operations in the plant in order to identify**waste, (2) construct a representative simulation model for the plant floor operations, and (3) identify and test**processes that can be optimized based on line balancing and variation reduction. The research team will**employ curve-fitting and discrete-event simulation to construct a model that is representative of the production**operations based on observations made by the team on the plant floor. This will enable the virtual testing of**proposed improvements so that the effect on the production line can be verified without interrupting the**production process. The research team will visit the facility, take part in bi-weekly meetings, and present**project milestones to company personnel to recommend future plant improvements. The collaboration with the**industry partner will allow for direct technology transfer, as the highly qualified personnel will study the**process and discuss and refine any proposed improvements with management, planning, and production**personnel at the plant. This project aims to increase productivity and customer satisfaction, which has an**overall benefit to Canada's economy as it will encourage the development and application of new technologies**for Canada's construction manufacturing sector.