A simulation module for supporting the manufacture of high value added electronics manufacturing

Given the global pressures and demanding requirements for high value added electronics manufacturing, it is vital to make the right decisions on the shop floor. One of the main shop floor level decisions in the domain is the selection of the most appropriate scheduling strategy for the available manufacturing system. Simulation has proved to be a powerful decision support tool. However, very few studies have used this potential to support the evaluation of scheduling strategies in a manufacturing context. A component-based simulation tool to evaluate the performance of scheduling strategies on a particular system is presented in this paper. The component based structure of the simulation tool allows the main problem requirements to be addressed. An example, based on a real company, illustrates the nature of the simulation results and the kind of support that can be obtained.