Development and Verification of a Simulation Model of an Automated Assembly Line

Abstract

Simulation models are integral to IT solutions built according to the Industry 4.0 concept. They are often the basis for developing digital twin solutions, which is why development environments are constantly developed and improved to meet the growing requirements of manufacturing enterprises. This work presents the development and verification of a simulation model of an automated assembly line located in the Smart Factory laboratory of the Poznań University of Technology. One of the criteria for designing the assembly process on this line is the time it takes for transport pallets to pass through individual stations. The work is a response to the need to quickly analyze the designed product assembly scenarios to choose the best one. The operation of the automated line with six assembly stations and allowing for the simultaneous transport of six pallets were considered. The main purpose of the work was to build a simulation model that would allow us to obtain assembly times close to real. The model was created using the Tecnomatix Plant Simulation 16.0 software, and verification work was carried out through a comparative analysis of the results of the simulation time of various assembly scenarios in relation to the actual operation of the line.

Keywords

• digital simulation model
• digital twin technology
• Industry 4.0
• smart manufacturing process