Problem with combiner taking items in specific order

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Maksymilian Jaworski asked May 24, '16 Matthew Gillespie commented May 24, '16

Problem with combiner taking items in specific order

Hello, I've got 3 conveyors ended with queue. Each of them transports different type of boxes (let say black, green and red). Those queues are connected with combiner, which creates a pallet (so we have 4 inputs: 1 from pallet's source, 3 from queues). Combiner takes 5 black items, 13 green items and 9 red items. It is important to take it always in following order: 5 black, 13 green, 9 red.

My problem is that items are arriving (on purpose) randomly to the queues. So when they arrive in correct order (black, green, red), assuming that there is a correct batch size, there is no problem. But in other situations I cannot simply apply solution to the model.

I have tried different variations of closing and opening outputs OnExit or EndCollectPicking, sending labels which should open outputs etc. but there always was some issue or I am doing something wrong.

I've almost solved it by writing a code with "If" checking if there is appriopriate Content on combiner - black items always go to the combiner, then if there is contentn >= 5 it opens output for green ones, then if output is >= 18 it opens output for red ones. BUT, when combiner has got a Pick option (from Join, Pick, Batch table) it has always Content=1 (like it counts only a pallet, not items on it). It was working with Batch or Join, but I need packing option (for visual effect)

Thanks for all the help

Software Version:

FlexSim 7.5.4

queue combiner order closeoutput openoutput

· 1

Brenton King ♦ commented · May 24, 2016 at 06:00 PM

I think this would be very easy to model using process flow. I will see if I can make you a quick sample model.

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Answer 1 · 2016-05-24T19:24:32Z

Phil BoBo answered May 24, '16 Ben Wilson commented May 24, '16

Here is another example model showing the 3-sequential-combiner method.

combine-in-specific-order.png (184.5 KiB)

combine-in-specific-order.fsm (23.7 KiB)

combine-in-specific-order-75.fsm (21.4 KiB)

· 1

Maksymilian Jaworski commented · May 24, 2016 at 08:21 PM

@phil.bobo @Brenton King @Ben Wilson @Matthew Gillespie

Thank you for your help!

That 'quick and dirty' solution occurred to be the best one - as far as we have tested it, there are no mistakes at all.

Here we made 3-sequential-combiner

and here those you have 'hidden' or 'gathered' combiners into one. Now it may not be clear, but operator did everyting in a right order.

0 ·

1.jpg (207.6 KiB)

2.jpg (202.1 KiB)

Answer 2 · 2016-05-24T19:24:34Z

Brenton King answered May 24, '16 Brenton King edited May 24, '16

I finished the Process Flow example that I promised. I believe it gives you complete flexibility over what goes on in your combiner. This method allows you to have the pallet stay at one object instead of using 3 combiners. Note that ALL my logic is in process flow. The combiner is actually a queue that looks like a combiner. It is only used as a location for the combining to occur.

This is an image of my logic in PF:

sequential-combiner.fsm

I believe that this model does what you are hoping for. You can use this logic in your model by copying and pasting the PF logic and making sure that the references used are correct. Create a global flowitem list in your toolbox called "Component List" and have all of your queues add the items to that list.

Let me know if you have any questions.

2016-05-24-13-14-45.png (279.4 KiB)

2016-05-24-13-17-42.png (69.3 KiB)

sequential-combiner.fsm (38.9 KiB)

· 3

Maksymilian Jaworski commented · May 24, 2016 at 07:28 PM

@Matthew Gillespie @regan.blackett thanks for effort, but when I open your models they are empty and I can't put anything into it. I'm using 7.5.4 version on Educational License. Any idea why?

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Phil BoBo ♦♦ Maksymilian Jaworski commented · May 24, 2016 at 07:39 PM

Here is an example built with FlexSim 7.5 using 3 combiner objects.

If you want to use ProcessFlow, you will need to upgrade to a newer version of FlexSim.

1 ·

combine-in-specific-order-75.fsm (21.4 KiB)

combine-in-specific-order.png (184.5 KiB)

Brenton King ♦ Maksymilian Jaworski commented · May 24, 2016 at 07:31 PM

We are working in FlexSim 2016. You won't be able to open our models in older versions of FlexSim.

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Answer 3 · 2016-05-24T19:14:06Z

Regan Blackett answered May 24, '16 Matthew Gillespie commented May 24, '16

I had the same thought as Brenton and tackled this problem with Process Flow tools and pulling from an item list. In this model, The boxes are being added to an item list (defined in the ToolBox) at Queues 1-3 Send to Port event. Each Box is assigned ot a Partition on the lIst by it's type; black, green, red.

I made another Queue called Combiner that will be the location where the combining will take place, but the logic for that will be controlled using Pull from List activities in Process Flow. The Queue isn't doing anything logically, it's just a place for the pallet to sit while I grab boxes out of Queue's 1-3.

When a pallet is delivered to my Combiner queue, a token is created in Process Flow (using the event triggered source activity), and goes through a series of Pull from List activities until it has grabbed all boxes of the different colors. It accomplishes this by Pullling the requisite number of boxes from each partition before moving onto the next Pull activity.

combining-with-process-flow.fsm

combining-with-process-flow.fsm (27.5 KiB)

· 2

Brenton King ♦ commented · May 24, 2016 at 07:35 PM

This method works great, and is very similar to the method I chose. This method works very similar to how our current combiner works. If you don't need to have a process time for each item I would recommend this method over mine because of simplicity. No reason to over complicate if it isn't needed. Compare both versions.

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Matthew Gillespie ♦♦ commented · May 24, 2016 at 08:46 PM

This is still the best solution for anyone not confined to version 7.5

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Answer 4 · 2016-05-24T18:02:59Z

Brenton King answered May 24, '16 Brenton King commented May 24, '16

One quick and dirty solution would be to use 3 combiners sequentially. One for black, one for green, and one for red. Would this work?

· 4

Ben Wilson ♦♦ commented · May 24, 2016 at 06:18 PM

What Brenton is referring to could be "dummy" combiners, where the process time is 0 and the shape is hidden. They just serve the purpose of making the logic easier, without adding any 3D props to the view or time to the simulation.

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Maksymilian Jaworski Ben Wilson ♦♦ commented · May 24, 2016 at 07:04 PM

Maybe I wasn't specific enough or I dont understand your proposition - Combiner makes a pallet which contains 5 black, 13 green and 9 red (27 items in total on 1 pallet) but it is still important to take black first, then green and after that red (imagine person making pallete, starting from big, heavy ones and ending od small and light items). What you are proposing is making 3 different combiners connected with one particular item type?

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Matthew Gillespie ♦♦ Maksymilian Jaworski commented · May 24, 2016 at 07:19 PM

See my attached model for an example of what Brenton is talking about.

combinersinseries.fsm

Ben is suggesting you do this, but also hide the extra combiners.

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combinersinseries.fsm (17.4 KiB)

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