Teaching with the Problem Solving Power of Simulation

A strategic curriculum revision concerning simulation methods, production operations, and facility layout and material handling courses in a product design and manufacturing engineering curriculum is described. The revision is based on two ideas. Simulation is best taught in the context of its applications. Simulation is both a vital analysis tool and a vital teaching approach for examining the time dynamics of production systems such as work cells, kanban systems, and flexible manufacturing systems as well as material movement systems within facilities and logistics systems for material movement over long distances. The simulation methods classes are removed from the curriculum. Simulation methods are integrated into revised production operations courses. A traditional material handling and facilities layout course is revised into a material movement course that includes supply chain logistics. Simulation based laboratories, case studies and case problems are used extensively in both of the revised courses