How can Target Quantity on a Combiner be more dynamic?

Question

question

Chris Ligetti asked Jan 16, '17 Joe Hugan commented Mar 31, '17

How can Target Quantity on a Combiner be more dynamic?

I want to use a combiner to model the joining of parts into an assembly. My issue is that the number of parts in the assembly is dynamic (i.e., changes from one assembly to the next).

I was planning on modeling this by sending an "assembly" part to the combiner through input port 1 and then changing the Target Quantity for input port 2 based on a label on the part coming from input port 1. However, the Target Quantity seems to be a static value in the combiner properties. Any ideas how I can make that Target Quantity more dynamic?

Software Version:

FlexSim 17.0.0

combiner

5 |100000

Attachments: Up to 12 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 23.8 MiB each and 47.7 MiB total.

Answer 1 · 2017-01-16T16:31:58Z

Sam Stubbs answered Jan 16, '17 Joe Hugan commented Mar 31, '17

My recommendation would be to use a simple Processor and customize the logic via Process Flow, You'll have a lot more control over the logic if you do it that way.

(For example you could use lists and list activities to determine which items and how many based on type etc. You can use the "Move Object" activity to move flow items INTO other flow items like a combiner would "pack" or you can simply use the Assign Labels and such to move labels and data into the base item, and remove the "combined" items like a combiner would "combine.")

· 4

5 |100000

Attachments: Up to 12 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 23.8 MiB each and 47.7 MiB total.

Matthew Gillespie ♦♦ commented · Jan 17, 2017 at 10:31 PM

@Chris Ligetti

Here's a sample model I put together showing how you could make a custom, Process Flow-based Combiner. The logic of the combiner is all controlled by the Process Flow. You can drag out more instances of the Custom Combiner object and they'll all be controlled by this same Process Flow. Changing the logic will affect the behavior of all the instances of the Custom Combiner objects in the model.

4 ·

pf-combiner.fsm (37.4 KiB)

Joe Hugan commented · Mar 30, 2017 at 04:07 PM

@Matthew Gillespie - I like your pf-combiner model. Three questions... Where are the combine quantities set (how many red, green, and blue per combination)? What is the syntax for these to be a label or other variable? and lastly, you mention Move Into as a way to Pack instead of destroying the parts. If I had a tote coming through input 1 for the processor, what is the reference that would pack the selected items into the tote? Thanks! Joe

1 ·

Jeff Nordgren Joe Hugan commented · Mar 31, 2017 at 05:21 PM

@Joe Hugan,

The combine quantities are labels on the flowitems coming from Source1. Because they are labels, does that answer your second question?

Attached is Matthew's model with the changes I made to make the flowitem from Source1 a Tote. Then I changed the Destroy Parts block name to Pack Parts and changed the Move Object in "Destroy Parts" to move them to the Tote rather than to the Sink.

Is this what you had in mind?

pf-combiner-jn1.fsm

0 ·

pf-combiner-jn1.fsm (37.6 KiB)

Joe Hugan Jeff Nordgren commented · Mar 31, 2017 at 05:31 PM

@Jeff Nordgren - thank you. This is perfect!

1 ·

Answer 2 · 2017-01-18T05:10:55Z

Arun Kr answered Jan 18, '17 Arun Kr edited Jan 18, '17

Hi @Chris Ligetti,

You can vary the target quantity in the combiner based on the assembly main frame type/ label using the update combiner component list picklist. This picklist is available in the on entry trigger option of the combiner.

Along with the trigger option, you have to use a global table to specify the product mix/product quantity required for a particular assembly main frame type.

As you can see in the attached image the combiner target quantity will vary, when each type of assembly main frame enters the combiner from the input source 1.

As you can see from the global table screen shot. The columns will represent the productmix/quantity for each type of assembly main frame( In the model there are three main frame types).

In the attached model, the target quantity varies based on the item type of the assembly main frame. You can also change it based on a label attached to the assembly main frame by editing the above-mentioned picklist and attaching labels to the assembly mainframes.

Regards,

Arun KR

support-chris.fsm

combiner-target.png (88.7 KiB)

table.png (5.3 KiB)

support-chris.fsm (125.0 KiB)

5 |100000

Attachments: Up to 12 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 23.8 MiB each and 47.7 MiB total.

question