This section contains detailed information about the type of production flows that can be generated automatically from an Excel-file by FACTS Analyzer Professional. It details the required format of the Excel-file and the type of input data that is supported. The information is presented in the form of a small example model intended to highlight the various supported features.

Note: The generated model will be mapped to the input data in the Excel-file through the Input Data Interface of FACTS Analyzer Professional. This make it easy to update the input data of the model without needing to re-generate the model and risking erasing any manual modifications made to the model.

Once a properly formated Excel-file is ready, generating a model from it is as simple as:

1. Open "Tools->Options->Generate Model".
   
2. Locate and select the model in the dialog.
3. The generated model will appear along with the result-dialog of the Input data interface.

   Note: The results-dialog will contain any errors, warnings and/or information about invalid settings in the Excel-file.

   
   
4. Press OK, and the model is ready!

Example Model

The example model consists of a MainLine producing three variants MainA-C. In Stn2 a component from the ComponentLine is assembled on either MainA, MainB or MainC. Stn3 consists of two parallel machines, where the Stn3_1 is able of processing MainA and MainC, whereas Stn3_2 is able to process MainB and MainC. In parallel the ParallelLine is producing the two variants MainD-E. On this line variants are transported on pallets. The pallets are returned from the end of the ParallelLine to the beginning of the ParallelLine on the “PalletLine”. The ParallelLine feed MainD and MainE to the FGI at the end of the MainLine.

Highlight of some of the included features in the example

• Fishbone lines synchronized at marriage stations (i.e. no signal to synchronize start of production on the various lines).
• Lines with parallel stations
• Lines with pallet loops

The Excel-file used for this example can be downloaded here.

Note: Locked(/yellow) cells and sheet names can't and shouldn't be changed!

Input data to the example model

The input data needed to generate the example model is presented in an Excel-file with seven sheets named; Settings, Stations, Flows, Variants, ProductionPlans, Assembly and SetupTimes.

Sheet Settings

This sheet contain the simulation settings, i.e. how the simulation model should be run:

1. Start: At what date and time the simulation should start on the format "YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS".
2. Horizon: The total time to simulate (including warm-up time).
3. Warm-Up: Time at the start of each replication in which no statistical data is gathered.
4. Replications: The number of replications that should be run.

Sheet Stations

The information contained in this sheet include the name of stations their type, availability, mean time to repair, process times, capacity, and variant dependent process times. See Input Data Interface for more details about the format of the input data.

Note: Process times could just as well be a statistical distribution.

Sheet Flows

Each column in this sheet defines a flow. The first cell contains the name of the flow, it is followed by a sequence of stations that define a production flow. Parallel stations are put in the same cell separated by a comma.

Note: Variants are mapped to these flows on the Variants sheet.

Sheet Variants

This sheet defines all variants used in the model and also what flows the different variants belong to.

Sheet ProductionPlans

A production plan could either be a sequence of variants that should be created (and potentially repeated) in a Source or a list with proportions (“probabilities”) for the variants that should be randomly created in a Source. See Input Data Interface for more details about the format of the input data.

Sheet Assembly

The assembly sheet contain information about how variants should be assembled in the Assembly object of the model. See Input Data Interface for more details about the format of the input data.

Note: Variants that are consumed in an Assembly doesn't require a flow that continue beyond that assembly point.

Sheet SetupTimes

The sheet SetupTimes illustrates how variant dependent setup times can be included in the form of a setup matrix. In this matrix a row represents the variant a station is currently setup for and column the variant the station is being setup for. See Input Data Interface for more details about the format of the input data.