For a model of frozen chips, how do I add liquids at certian stages?
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Hi
Thanks so much for your explanations, this simulation is due in on Sunday so I really appreciate your help.
I've changed the conveyor to the percentage function.
For separator 1, it's a length and size grader so I feel there does need to be some kind of a processor, the potatoes that don't meet the requirement go into the sink, this will be 5% of flow items.
For the washer, yes I want it to pull one 'water' and 7 potato flow items (each flow item represents a high volume of potatoes), then theses items to stay within the combiner for an amount of time, then the used water flow item to exit the simulation, and the 'washed' flow items to carry on through the simulation. I've added a separator like you suggested, how do you mean sending the water to port 1? Is it best to use a join or pack or batch function here?
Would I need to add a separator every time I used a combiner to add liquid such as for the blancher?
With the packaging, I want it to pull say 5 packages for every flowitem, however when I click on the combiner and go onto the 'combiner tab' it only lets me change the quantity from port 2? When the packages leave the combiner, is it possible for them to change colour, depending on if they have been packed in a standard or large size from the relevant combiner?
Thanks again
Hi
I'm having a few problems when I add the queue for the flowitems waiting to go back into the peeler. When I connect this queue and the peeler, then run the simulation the flow items stop at the peeler. When I disconnect these objects and run it works fine.
Also for the fryers, can they be scheduled breakdowns, I've selected this option but how do I set the times as to when they will break? Also how do I call the operators when they have scheduled down time to clean out the oil? Do I connect the fryer to the operator, I connected the dispatcher to the fryers but it doesn't seem to work. On break down I'd like them to be red but then change back to yellow.
Can you just clarify how to change the colour of an object produced by the source also, for the packaging I have done the flow item to change colour on exit, but I'd rather the actual source produce either blue or red items for the different packaging.
For the transport onto the racks including the robot do I use the S key?
Thanks
Laura,
It looks like the Reject loop is working correctly. Remember that when queues get filled to capacity then they will cause a back-up and choke the system.
You can't connect your "Optical sorter 1 rejects queue" directly onto the Steam Peeler combiner. Either feed onto the conveyor that feeds the Combiner or create a dummy queue with a capacity of 1.
Fryers MTBF: You have used the default times so you need to change these. Planned/scheduled maintenance is generally entered as a fixed value to the First Failure and Up Time fields. As I said previously, use the Down Function, Stop Object and Call Operator option to call the Operator.
Why not have 2 Box Sources? Set the Interarrival time to 0 so that there is always a box available. Change the box colour by using the OnCreate trigger and set the Object colour to whatever makes sense.
Yes, use the S key. You haven't connected the Packaging Combiners to their Output queues, so they won't operate. Same comment for the feed to the racks.
You still have default times used for most of the processors and combiners.
Hi Laura,
I'm assuming that you are modelling the process of freezing chips/fries and you want to add a standard volume of oil or water. If this is true then you can treat the volume of fluid as a discrete element.
To model this I'd simply use a Combiner, with the Combine Mode set to Join. The "fluid" will be pulled through input port 2 so that it doesn't alter the flow item image.
I hope this helps.
Hi Laura,
Ok, I get the idea. I think it depends on how much detail you need.
Firstly, if there is no effect on throughput then you may not need to model the fluids.
If you only need to model the effect of the removal and then resupply of the fluids as a time delay then you could use a change over time in the processor, so every 300 items there is a delay - use the Processor, set up time, and use "different time for nth item". Set the time for other items to 0 and for the 300th item to the change over time.
If you want to actually model the resupply then you will need to count the potatoes processed. There are many ways to do this but I guess from your question that you are just starting with Flexsim so the simplest way I can think of is to use a Combiner. The logic is that the Combiner will consume 1 unit of oil/water for each potato, and every 300 potatoes the stock of oil/water needs to be resupplied. Set the Combiner to pull 1 potato and 1 unit of fluid from a queue (no need for tanks / pipes or fluids). Fill the queue from a Source set to a 0 inter-arrival rate and in the queue tick "Perform Batching", batch size of 300 and Flush Contents between batches. This contents of the "fluid" queue will fill up to 300 and be consumed over time.
Hi Laura,
The Combiner pulls an item through Port 1 before pulling any other item, and, if you are using the Join setting then the item that leaves the Combiner will have image of the item that entered through Port 1. You can swap the port order around in the Combiner's General Tab, select the Input Ports item at the bottom of the list and swap the order of the ports around. This should fix the image.
I would probably not model the actual water, but would think of it in a more abstract way. I would think of the water as a counter that will cause the next batch of water to be delivered when the counter reaches 300 (or whatever number you have decided upon).
I have attached a really simple model that shows this. The Potato source feeds into a queue that feeds into Port 1 of a Combiner, set to Join.
Water Source has a 0 inter-arrival rate and feeds into a queue that has Perform Batching checked, and batch size of 300 - so it will build up a quantity in the queue of 300 parts. Flush Contents between batches is also checked and this causes the input to the queue to be closed while the queue is emptied, and all the water is used up. When the queue is empty then the input opens again and the next batch is delivered.
I hope this helps.
This is my model so far. With the last part of the simulation, I want the chips to either go into a large packet size or a standard packet size by percentage split.
Once the packets leave the combiner I want the standard pack to be one colour and the large to be another colour. I've got it so one pack leaves a different colour once combined but I'm unsure how to get all the flow items to change colour once in packets.
Looking at it, I think I will have to add another combiner to pack into boxes.
Also on your initial post, can I get it so when every 200 flow items pass through the combiner (ie washer) a water flowitem goes onto the combiner and this continues?
Thanks
Hi Laura,
From what I can see in your model I'd probably use the Join option in the Combiners. That should stop the mix of colours and the incorrect positioning of the flow items that you are seeing.
Before you proceed much further I would check all of the process times - I think you still have the defaults - and I would turn the conveyors and processors round the correct way.
I don't think that you need the Separator2 object - you could use the Conveyor's Flow Tab and change the Send To Port rule to By Percentage. I also don't think that Separator1 is needed - you have used the Join option in the Washer so the settings you have used in Separator1 just remove 5% of the flow items to Sink1. If this is for wastage the you can use the Flow Tab in Conveyor 2 to get the same effect. If you are using this to separate out the water then I would do this in a different way.
To top the water store up to 200 set the Source Inter Arrival time to 0 - so it instantly tops up the store - and the Target Batch Size in the store to 200. At this level and given the size of the model, I wouldn't worry about run speed.
If you want to collect 200 potatoes and 1 unit of water then just collect 1 unit of water through Port 1 and then 200 Potatoes through Port 2 of the Combiner, use the Pack option in the Combiner. This will let you wash all 200 potatoes at the same time, if that is what you want? Once the Wash cycle is complete then you would use a Separator, with the Unpack option set, to send the Water to Part 1 and the 200 potatoes to Port 2.
I hope this helps.
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