The Application of Simulation in Facility Layout Design of an Industry 4.0 Factory

Abstract

Facility layout planning (FLP) is one of the most discussed industrial topics that affects the performance of a manufacturing system. Conventional approaches have extensively focused on quantitative analyses with a primary focus on cost minimization. The recent technological development in computer-based simulation has provided powerful tools to better visualize and test different layouts in an easier way. In this study, a graphical simulation package is used to showcase the design of a cellular production plant, where the design principle is based on the flexible manufacturing system. The proposed virtual factory demonstrates the possibility of solving FLP challenges under intra-logistics factors in an intuitive and interactive manner. The proposed approach can be highly beneficial for manufacturing companies, especially small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).