With fluctuations in manufacturing costs and the seemingly unpredictable economic climate, it is imperative to make every effort to increase productivity, fully utilize resources and decrease or eliminate possible bottlenecks. Simcad Pro is a sophisticated simulation engine that can be utilized to improve the overall efficiency of an assembly operation while using automation. Users of Simcad Pro have shown increased productivity, accuracy and efficiency, helping to cut costs without sacrificing the quality of their products.

Simcad Pro's patented dynamic simulation engine allows managers, supervisors and other process improvement experts to perform analysis, detect bottlenecks and deficiencies, and generate real solutions with ease. Because Simcad Pro does not require users to write or use code, model building and changes can be made easily. Simcad Pro allows users to create "what-if" scenarios to increase preparedness, make changes where needed and increase efficiency. Modifications can be made to the model "on-the-fly," allowing the user to observe changes to the model immediately, therefore reducing the required times for analysis.

Simcad Pro allows user to generate live data from the operation into the simulation by using EMR systems, RFID, Barcodes, etc... Historical data can also be included in the model to increase the mathematical accuracy of generated data, providing the user with valid information in order to make informed decisions. In addition to historical and live data, CAD layouts can be imported into the model, which will automatically compute travel distances within the simulation. Changes can be made regarding the type of automation being used. These changes can be seen immediately within the model and the optimal machinery, timing, capacities, etc... can be chosen.

Whether the user is interested in creating a new assembly operation or looking to make improvements on an existing one, Simcad Pro can be useful in finding the optimal layout of operations. Depending on the machinery, different distances and layouts may need to be tested within the model to find the most efficient way. For example, when using AS/RS, the shelving units will need to be much closer than if the user is utilizing forklifts. These changes can be administered to the model and the changes can be seen. Without using CAD layouts, distances and pathways can be manually set and changed within the model "on-the-fly," allowing the user to review changes immediately to find the desired result.

With the simulation built and connected, the user can set and change different parameters, such as timing, resources, schedules, capacities, etc... This information can be imported from an external data source, such as Excel, or input manually. With the simulation running, the users can observe where backups are occurring and where changes need to be made to increase efficiency or fix problems. Using Simcad Pro's dynamic simulation engine allows the user to easily see where bottlenecks are present, which solutions improve these bottlenecks and the effects they have on operations downstream and the system as a whole. The "Simulation Analysis Report" provides users with a quick analysis of the model to identify poorly performing areas. Graphs and additional data can be generated from the model including, value added time, non-value added time, Gantt charts, etc...

Advantages and Capabilities of Simcad Pro Simulator:

• Assign and modify resource schedules to improve efficiency
• Decide where to place automation and equipment, including desired distances
• Determine the impact of adding additional automation on the overall throughput
  • How will this change processes downstream
  • What additional changes need to be implemented to accommodate new automation
  • How will this change timings and possibly create bottlenecks in different areas
• Include and adjust robots to see their effect on productivity
• Vender evaluation to choose which automation product type will fit best within the existing operation
• Run through different scenarios using real data from data imports to predict future occurrences
• Allows users to sequence timing of automation to increase productivity and reduce bottlenecks
• Create analysis reports and Gantt charts to validate changes made
• View bottlenecks and deficiencies throughout the system and test different strategies to reduce them