Integration of Witness with an MES to control a workshop in real time Lanner user conference 2008 February 26, 2008 ThinkTank, Birmingham, UK Franck Fontanili, assistant professor Department of Industrial Engineering http://perso.enstimac.fr/~fontanil/
Ecole des Mines d Albi-Carmaux http://www.enstimac.fr/ 130 engineering graduates / year including 35 in Industrial Engineering 30 h of training in simulation + case study End-of-course project: February until end July Project of apprenticeship training program Starting in October 2008 (24 apprentices / yr) 3 sectors: Pharmaceutical industry and health services Energies and new building materials Mechanical and aeronautical manufacturing industry 3 research centres Including the Department of Industrial Engineering 11 lecturers 12 PhD students 2
Outline Practices and trends Current uses of simulation Emulation «On-line» simulation Production activity control Comparison with car racing Manufacturing Execution System Simulation-based control Technical issues Model initialization Synchronization with the real process Response time and corrections Demos Research perspectives 3
Spécifier et illustrer le cahier des charges. Définir les caractéristiques globales. Choisir entre des projets contrastés. Identifier les goulots d'étranglement. Choisir les règles de pilotage des flux. Choisir les règles de gestion des stocks. Déterminer les capacités. Etudier l'influence des perturbations etc.. Indépendance temporelle et événementielle Identifier les problèmes. Evaluer diverses propositions de modification. Choisir entre plusieurs solutions d amélioration. Garantir les résultats d une modification. Prévoir des délais (en complément à ERP et ordonnancement) Dépendance temporelle et événementielle Aide à la décision en pilotage Current practice Off-line simulation Not dependent on real time and events «Virtual» Process Real Process Design stage Continuous improvement Operational stage Formalize and illustrate the specifications Define general characteristics Choose between contrasting projects Identify bottlenecks Choose rules for flow control Choose inventory management rules Define capacities Study the impact of perturbations etc.. Identify current issues Evaluate various solutions for improvement Choose among several solutions for improvement Estimate the return on investment Forecast delivery dates (in addition to an ERP and a scheduler) Processus «virtuel» Simulation «Off-line» Processus réel Simul Simulation «On-line» Processus réel MES (*) En conception En amélioration En exploitation En exploitation 4
Spécifier et illustrer le cahier des charges. Définir les caractéristiques globales. Choisir entre des projets contrastés. Identifier les goulots d'étranglement. Choisir les règles de pilotage des flux. Choisir les règles de gestion des stocks. Déterminer les capacités. Etudier l'influence des perturbations etc.. Indépendance temporelle et événementielle Identifier les problèmes. Evaluer diverses propositions de modification. Choisir entre plusieurs solutions d amélioration. Garantir les résultats d une modification. Prévoir des délais (en complément à ERP et ordonnancement) Dépendance temporelle et événementielle Aide à la décision en pilotage trends «On-line» simulation Dependent on real time and events MES (*) Real process Operational stage Support for «real-time» decision making Processus «virtuel» Simulation «Off-line» Simul Processus réel En conception En amélioration En exploitation Simulation «On-line» Processus réel En exploitation MES (*) (*) Manufacturing Execution System 5
and perspectives Information System ERP, MES,... states instructions states instructions Finalization of IS Model without operating rules Simulation Pure emulation of the physical process Real process Design stage Operational stage 6
Production activity control and car racing Objective Best time On time delivery Data: Circuit, track conditions, weather Tools: Simulator, road-book, reconnaissance, etc Planning and preparation =>Choice of parameters Data: order book, WIP, resources Tools: CAPM, workload estimates, balancing, simulation, etc Tyres, engine and chassis setup, Scheduling, capacity, priorities, Operations Events: tyre deterioration, power loss, puncture, Events: breakdown, urgent order, cycle time increase, =>Adjustment of the parameters 7
Issues ( for the pilot or the process manager) Will the objective be achieved? Which parameters should be corrected to meet the target? How much should these parameters be corrected? How can the deviation from the objective be reduced? Etc. 8
Part of the solution: M.E.S Long term Frequency of decision making Information system for business administration Advanced Planning System/Optimization Management level Strategic Mid term Enterprise Resource Planning Short term Manufacturing Execution System Tactical Very short term Supervision Real-time Control Information system for production Operational Operating system Physical flows Information flows 9
MES functions Resource management Scheduling Routing of products and batches Document management Data collection Human resource management Quality management Process management Maintenance management Product traceability and genealogy Performance analysis Further information at: http://www.mesportal.org/ http://www.club-mes.com/ http://www.mesa.org/ 10
MES and Simulation : Two complementary tools? MES = execution and monitoring tool: Real-time database and history No short-term projection Simulation = projection tool: Possibility to make short-term projections Evaluation of the consequences of unexpected events Observation: MES supports decision-making for production management but does not guaranty that the decisions are right! Research perspective: Use the data collected by an MES to feed an «on-line» simulator 11
Simulation-based production management no Monitoring of real system Event occurring? Optimization of production parameters yes simulation model initialization Simulation Simulation Target achieved? yes no no Simulated objective Targeted objective? yes Implementation of production parameters on real system 12
Technical issues Model initialization When an event occurs in the real system In a state close to reality As fast as possible Various solutions Warm-up period: too long, almost impossible to get in the right state «fiddling»: dummy machines and parts; how to force a machine to start in a setup state? New functionality of Witness 2007: initialisation file (.sta); to be tested in the context of MES Simba SDK: offers many features for model initialization 13
Model initialization with SIMBA See demo 1 14
Technical issues Synchronization with the real process Synchronization of the simulation clock with the real time while waiting for an event to occur in the real process Data acquisition (sensors, states, etc.) Solutions In Witness: time scaling at 1:1, GetActiveTime function Simba and OPC (Ole for Process Control) Input Operating System Sensors PLC Output Actuators Industrial network On-line Simulation MES MES Database Local network OPC Server Local network OPC Client More information about OPC at: http://www.opcfoundation.org/ See demo 2 15
Forecasted due date = 17:55:00 PM Technical issues Response time Solutions Ongoing research to reduce the response time Real time Simulated time 16 Event on real process at 8:27:07 AM 8:27:18 AM Simulated due-date = 18:03:27 PM Model initialisation at 8:27:08 AM Simulation result at 8:27:18 AM Response time
Technical issues Adjustment of parameters If simulation highlights a deviation from the objective Then launch further simulations to adjust the parameters Which parameters? How much? Find a solution as fast as possible! Solutions Coupling of simulation and optimization Examples: genetic algorithm; Ongoing research Witness Optimizer Production control parameters Algorithm parameters Production orders Simulation Objective Optimization algorithm 17
Experimental platform : e-manufacturing for Advanced Control Operating System Rascol site Server 1 OPC host PLC for Workstation 5 PLC for Load/Unload stations 1 & 6 Industrial Ethernet PLC for Workstation 4 Webcam at http://193.50.91.173/ Internet connection Internet RASCOL site (production line area) PLC for Workstation 2 PLC for Workstation 3 Information system EMAC site Local network Server 2 Web applications host EMAC site (Information system area) e-commerce e-plan e-mac (MES) Portal on http://194.167.200.51/ 18
Experimentation Remote connection to the OPC server on the RASCOL site (Albi, France) access to the events of the real process Launching a production Through the web access of the MES Starting up the conveyors remotely Launching the real time simulation Simulation waiting for an event to occur: arrival of a palet at workstation 4 Launching the simulation in batch mode Projection in the short-term future based on the current state of the system Voir démo 3 19
Research perspectives Model initialization and launching of simulations Define the minimal level of equipment to be installed in the real process Simulation response time Specify the minimum performance expected between two events (in terms of number or duration of corrective simulations) Identify fast, efficient and robust correction algorithms! Filtering of events Discriminate normal events vs. critical events Integration with the MES Implement a genuine tool for production management decision making Experimentation Keep on experimenting with the platform Find an industrial sponsor 20
Thank you for your attention Any questions? 21