How to program a line with more than one input and multiple products?

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Maria A2 asked Jul 17, '18 Joshua S commented Aug 13, '18

How to program a line with more than one input and multiple products?

Hello, I have the following problem to simulate:

A company has 5 different types of products (1,2, 3, 4 and 5) and a line production as the following. Also, there are some processors that give components for the products. So, Processor 6 gives a component for product 1, and should operate just (AND ONLY) when the line is processing the batches of product 1. The Processor 7 gives a component to the product 2, and should operate just when the batch of product 2 is being made. As the same for products 3, 4 and 5 (Respectively Processor 8, 9 and 10).

How can I do this links? I mean, how can I program this additional processors (the ones that are not in the main line) to operate just when the correct product is in the main line? And how can I make this link between the main processor and the processor that gives the component? How do I unite both product and component to be process all in the same processor of the main line?

Thank you all in advance for the help.modelo-flexsim-png.png

input port programming production line multiple items

modelo-flexsim-png.png (111.3 KiB)

Answer 1 · 2018-07-17T15:33:52Z

Joshua S answered Jul 17, '18 Joshua S commented Aug 13, '18

You can do this quite easily in process flow. Have an event source that is triggered when a product enters the main line. then you can check what type it is and then open the ports to the specific processor that is connected to that item type, then close it when it is done, and repeat this process for each item coming in.

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Maria A2 commented · Aug 02, 2018 at 06:25 PM

Hey Joshua,

Thanks a lot for the answer. I understood that it is possible to be done with the use of triggers.

I have tried to do it with the "closeinput" but I'm new on Flexsim, so it is not clear for me how it works.

For example, how can I program it to close just one of the two inputs (beeing the first input the main line and the second one, items that need to be join in the main product)?

My other question is:

Is it possible to use the Processor to join a product and a component? Or it is essencial to use a Combiner to do so? I wanted to simulate one operator getting one component in a Qeue, and using it as an input in the Processor, along with the main product that passes through the main line.

I don't know if I made myself clear. Anyway, I was able to solve this with Combiners, I just wanted to know if it was possible to avoid the use of the Combiners and make this action in the Processor.

I will send

a picture of the new models to make it more visual.

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flexsim.png (105.5 KiB)

Joshua S Maria A2 commented · Aug 13, 2018 at 07:13 PM

@Maria A2

sorry for the late reply. Combiners are the best way to join objects together that being their purpose. In process flow you can do this to by referencing the objects and using a "Move Object" activity. Rather than closing off ports, one thing you could do is limit what the processor will pull, these options are found in the picture below

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pic1.png (21.7 KiB)

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