Simulation framework for complex manufacturing systems with automated material handling

In this paper, we suggest a framework that allows for the simulation-based performance assessment of complex manufacturing systems with automated material handling systems (AMHS). Therefore, we consider a coupling architecture that connects simulation models of the manufacturing base system and the AMHS with a shop-floor control system. The center point of this architecture is a blackboard-type data layer between the shop-floor control system and the two simulation engines. We provide detailed information on how the different subsystems communicate and how each system triggers events of the other systems. We show by means of a case study how this framework supports the required performance assessment.