USIS-an integrated 3D-tool for planning production cells

The planning of complex production plants makes considerable demands on the planning engineer, who usually has to pursue a wide variety of often conflicting sub-objectives simultaneously. The planner confronted with this task is hampered by a lack of suitable planning tools. 3D simulation can support the design of a three-dimensional manufacturing cell. However, even with 3D simulation, the search for an optimum solution remains relatively complex, because of the large number of interactive planning procedures involved. USIS (Universal Simulation System), a graphic robot simulation package, uses largely automated procedures to support the design engineer at all important stages of planning. This contribution presents some of these procedures