ATTENTION

This FlexSim Community Forum is read-only. Please post any new questions, ideas, or discussions to our new community (we call it Answers) at https://answers.flexsim.com/. Our new Question & Answer site brings a modern, mobile-friendly interface and more focus on getting answers quickly. There are a few differences between how our new Q&A community works vs. a classic, threaded-conversation-style forum like the one below, so be sure to read our Answers Best Practices.


flexsim.com

Go Back   FlexSim Community Forum > FlexSim Software > Q&A
Downloads

Q&A Using Flexsim and building models

  #1  
Old 02-29-2008
Brandon Peterson's Avatar
Brandon Peterson Brandon Peterson is offline
The Flexsim Consultant
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Posts: 382
Downloads: 29
Uploads: 6
Thanks: 192
Thanked 516 Times in 235 Posts
Rep Power: 490
Brandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant future
Default Mining Demo models

Here are some mining demo models!

There are two models:
1. Open Pit Mine: This model has three loadzones and two dumpzones. There are two Front Shovel loadzones and one Excavator loadzone.
2. Block Cave Mine: This model is of a fictional block cave mine that has 6 LHD's that have to use 1 of 2 dump positions. When the blocks go red that means that they are blocked and the LHD can not go past that area because a drill rig is there.

Unload the attached zip file into your "userprojects" directory to get the 3D shapes to appear correctly. These are Flexsim Version 4.3 models.

Good Luck,
Brandon
Attached Files
File Type: zip Mining.zip (1.02 MB, 937 views)
__________________
thats not normal.

Last edited by Cliff King; 03-01-2008 at 11:40 AM. Reason: version statement
The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to Brandon Peterson For This Useful Post:
syseo (06-06-2008)
  #2  
Old 06-05-2008
Brandon Peterson's Avatar
Brandon Peterson Brandon Peterson is offline
The Flexsim Consultant
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Posts: 382
Downloads: 29
Uploads: 6
Thanks: 192
Thanked 516 Times in 235 Posts
Rep Power: 490
Brandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant future
Default

All,

I have gotten a question about these models that I would like to address on the forum as I think that it might be usefull to everyone.

Question: What went into building the models?

The Underground Demo model was built using traditional task executers, traffic controllers, and Sources. The sources are the objects that determine when a draw point breaks down (goes red) and how much material is left at the draw point. Generally the sources just produce items that represent a defined amount of material and the dispatcher calls the LHD (transporter) that services that draw point. When a draw point goes down the source will call stopobject on all of the sources that are further into the entry way than it is. Stop object is used so that if multiple draw points go down it will requre multiple resumeobject commands before a source can call the LHD back to it.

The Open Pit model was built over a considerable amount of time. This model uses custom objects that had to be built individually and specifically for the task they perform. This model runs primarily off of task sequences that call sub tasks. This means that the original task sequence given to a truck is to travel to a load zone, call subtasks, travel to a dump, call subtasks, and finally send a message to the dispatcher to do it all over again. When the truck reaches a loadzone or dump the sub task will allocate a load or dump spot and then call subtasks on that spot that will inform the truck how to travel to the spot. After the truck has traveled to the load or dump spot it is loaded by a shovel or it dumps on its own. This is a very interesting model to study if someone is interesed in task sequences.

If anyone has any more questions about these models please post them here and I will answer them as quickly as possible.

Thanks,
Brandon
__________________
thats not normal.
The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to Brandon Peterson For This Useful Post:
Tom David (06-06-2008)
  #3  
Old 11-14-2008
Kenny Macleod's Avatar
Kenny Macleod Kenny Macleod is offline
Flexsim Australia
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 136
Downloads: 114
Uploads: 0
Thanks: 86
Thanked 38 Times in 18 Posts
Rep Power: 176
Kenny Macleod will become famous soon enoughKenny Macleod will become famous soon enough
Default Modelling movement of coal

Brandon - how did you model the coal? Is it modelled as a fluid or item?

I have a scenario where i need to model the movement of coal (source being a stockpile at a mine) by truck, train then ship, with stockpiles between each transit.

As with any truck-load, there will be slight differences in the loads each run.

I suspect using fluid modelling would be the most accurate but not sure how to transport fluid. Options I'm considering
  • use fluid model all the way, transporting as fluid
  • chunk up and use multiple items of coal
  • use fluid for the stockpiles and convert fluidtoitem and back for each transit.
Any suggestions?

Thanks

Kenny
  #4  
Old 11-15-2008
Brandon Peterson's Avatar
Brandon Peterson Brandon Peterson is offline
The Flexsim Consultant
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Posts: 382
Downloads: 29
Uploads: 6
Thanks: 192
Thanked 516 Times in 235 Posts
Rep Power: 490
Brandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant future
Default

Kenny,

The coal is modeled as an item that has a label on it to store the amount being moved. The pile can also have the same label. this would be the easiest way to model what you want if you are using trucks. If you are primarily using conveyors then you may want to use the fluid objects.

Good Luck,
Brandon
__________________
thats not normal.
  #5  
Old 11-16-2008
Kenny Macleod's Avatar
Kenny Macleod Kenny Macleod is offline
Flexsim Australia
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 136
Downloads: 114
Uploads: 0
Thanks: 86
Thanked 38 Times in 18 Posts
Rep Power: 176
Kenny Macleod will become famous soon enoughKenny Macleod will become famous soon enough
Default

Thanks Brandon,

This is sort of what I had tried for a one-stage transportation but hadn't thought about using it for multi-stage scenario. I agree that this would be the easiest way IF i can increment the stockpiles at each stage with the values transported and then decrement the stockpile as coal is removed for the next stage of its journey.

The key purpose of the model is to determine the number of vehicles required at each stage and the capacity of the stockpiles (buffers) required between each section. (there’s a stockpile before each transit stage)
Mine (stockpile) -> Road-train (100T capacity) –> stockpile –> train (4,000T) – > stockpile –> Conveyor to ship (50,000T)

How would you manage the flow/management of items downstream? At each stage ther e are less items being transported so I guess it's feasible to leave "empty" items at each stockpile (queue). Or would you suggest a hidden sink and source at each stockpile, with the contents being carried by a variable.

Any suggestions on tracking the amount of coal through the process and managing the items through the process?

Kenny


  #6  
Old 11-16-2008
Brandon Peterson's Avatar
Brandon Peterson Brandon Peterson is offline
The Flexsim Consultant
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Posts: 382
Downloads: 29
Uploads: 6
Thanks: 192
Thanked 516 Times in 235 Posts
Rep Power: 490
Brandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant futureBrandon Peterson has a brilliant future
Default

Kenny,

On entry of the stock pile I would increment the label and probaly destroy the item or send it to a sink. The open pit model is driven by a task sequence loop that tells the trucks what to do. The only reason for the flowitems is so that the shovel has something to load and unload in the truck. If you wanted you could easily remove the items from the model entirely.

The main driver of that model is a task sequence that is as follows:

Travel to a load zone
Call subtasks on the load zone
Travel to the dump zone
Call subtasks on the dump zone
Send a message to redo the loop

So you could create a stock pile area and then change the main dispatch logic and it would behave how you wanted it.

Brandon
__________________
thats not normal.
  #7  
Old 11-16-2008
Kenny Macleod's Avatar
Kenny Macleod Kenny Macleod is offline
Flexsim Australia
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 136
Downloads: 114
Uploads: 0
Thanks: 86
Thanked 38 Times in 18 Posts
Rep Power: 176
Kenny Macleod will become famous soon enoughKenny Macleod will become famous soon enough
Default

Thanks Brandon, I appreciate your advice.

Kenny
  #8  
Old 01-16-2012
dalin cai dalin cai is offline
Flexsim User
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Wollongong, NSW, Australia
Posts: 9
Downloads: 19
Uploads: 0
Thanks: 11
Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts
Rep Power: 0
dalin cai is on a distinguished road
Default

Hi Brandon,

There is a node "Front Shovel>special/reportvariables" which I think is not standard in Flexsim. What's that for and how? Is it used for generating report? I have a customized object which has some unstandard states like cutting, supporting, etc which I add into the end of states profile list; and I want them to be reported. Do you have any suggestion? Thanks.


Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
New Flexsim Display Models Cliff King Q&A 3 03-06-2008 08:36 PM
Protecting your models from further modification. Regan Blackett Tips and Tricks 1 03-06-2008 06:01 PM


All times are GMT -6.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2020, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright 1993-2018 FlexSim Software Products, Inc.