Make-To-Stock (MTS) and Make-To-Order (MTO) are the two traditional strategies in
production management. In the case of the MTS there is a growing demand for a new
approach, which is called Make-To-Availability (MTA) strategy. The paper characterizes and
compares the MTS and MTA strategies. The comparative analysis based, among others, on
computational experiments carried out in a computer program developed in Microsoft Visual
Studio 2017 Environment was presented. The models have been prepared for both strategies
with the same assumptions: external conditions (market demand) and internal conditions
(structure of the production process). The investigation of how the strategies respond to
various scenarios of demand intensity was done. The simulation models were prepared and
validated for the case of the production line in one of the industrial automation company.
The research shows that the use of the MTA strategy in the majority of cases gives much
better results than the use of the MTS strategy due to the minimization of storage costs and
the costs of non-fulfillment of the customers’ demand. The directions for further research
were also presented.
The main aim of the article is to develop a simulation model of flexible manufacturing
system with applying the ontology on flexibility. Designing manufacturing systems matching
both production and market requirements becomes more and more challenging due to the
variability of demand for a large number of products made in many variants and short
lead times. Manufacturing flexibility is widely recognised as a proven solution to achieve
and maintain both the strategical and operational goals of the companies exposed to global
competition. Generic simulation model of flexible manufacturing system was developed using
FlexSimr 3D software, then the example data were used to demonstrate the developed model
applicability. “The Ontology on Flexibility” was applied for evaluation of achieved flexibility
of manufacturing system.
The paper deals with calibration of the simulation models of hydraulic part of an irrigation project. Calibrated simulation model can be used in design, reconstruction, enlargement or maintenance of the pressurized irrigation systems. Computer model of the water distribution system is a valuable tool which can assist engineers and planners in analyzing the hydraulic performance of water delivery systems. Calibration of the water distribution model consists in comparison of pressures and flows predicted with observed pressures and flows for known operating conditions (i.e., pump operation, tank levels, pressure-reducing valve settings), and adjustment of the input data for the model to improve agreement between observed and predicted values. In practice, given a set or sets of measured state variables, engineers apply trial and error techniques with their judgment to vary the parameters and accomplish this task. Trial and error techniques are tedious do not guarantee reasonable results. The paper introduces the methodology of determination of calibrated parameters automatically. Described methodology of calibration is based on optimizing procedures using the harmony search approach.
By simulating the actual working conditions of a cable, the temperature variation rule of different measuring points under different load currents was analyzed. On this basis, a three-dimensional finite element model (FEM) was established, and the difference and influence factors between the simulation temperature and the experimental measured value were discussed, then the influence of thermal conductivity on the operating temperature of the conductor layer was studied. Finally, combined with the steady-state thermal conductivity model and the experimental measured data, the relation between thermal conductivity and load current was obtained.