Combining physical simulation and discrete-event material flow simulation

Manufacturing customized products leads to increased complexity within the material flows of a manufacturing system. Discrete-event material flow simulations are established models that help to cope with this complexity. A promising way to extend these models is their enhancement with the physical behavior of moving objects. Disturbances in the material flow, which were previously not covered by simulations, could be detected by considering physical effects like friction or acceleration. This paper determines the challenges and potentials of combining discrete event material flow simulation and physical simulation. A conceptual approach is presented, using a material flow simulation based on an event-driven production control. (C) 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.