Loading And Unloading

Hello Forum!
I am trying to built a warehouse model for my thesis and I have the following question:
I want my trucks to obey in an arrival plan, stay in source during loading time (20 minutes) and then go. The objects I used is a source, a dispatcher and a processor.
My schedule is related only with the source, and not with the dispatcher. Should it be on a Global Table?
I have tried to set load time of my dispatcher, by adding a delay task in Transporter> Load Time> Custom code:
treenode item = parnode(1);
treenode current = ownerobject(c);
treenode station = parnode(2);/**Custom Code*/

treenode ts = createemptytasksequence(current,0,0);
inserttask(ts,TASKTYPE_DELAY,NULL,NULL,20);
return 1;
Any help would be appreciated.

Hello Eleni,

the model works fine, if you add a downstream object, a queue or a sink. If you insert "STATE_WAITING" as the second parameter in the delaytask you can see this state in the pie chart of the transporter (tested Flexsim5 und 7).

inserttask(ts,TASKTYPE_DELAY,NULL,NULL,20, STATE_WAITING);

Jörg

Dear Jörg Vogel,

thank you for your quick response!

Indeed code is fine now!

I am still working on the same model and my next problem is the following:

Based on my arrival schedule, my source creates the pallets. I want each one to go to a different processor by using a different transporter (1st pallet to 1st processot with 1st Transporter etc).

Furthermore wish every tranporter that has completed it's journey to return to it's fixed position.

Could somebody give me a guide line ??

Thank you in advance!

Eleni,

What I would do is using the itemtype of the items for the routing. Define in your arrival schedule the item type (1 to 3). Use the itemtype in the send to port of the Source ( By Expression: getitemype(item), which is a pick option. Import is that the ports are connected in the right order. Do the same for the UseTransport and therefore use three Dispatchers with one Transporter.

You choose OnResourceAvailable: Travel to a Home Location, which is defined as centerobject(current,1). But the transporter has no centerobject, that why they not travel home. You need to fix this (add centerobject or change to inobject, which is the dispachter) or you could give the transporter a tasksequence to travel to a specific position or use a network.

If you liketo use the option to drive to a specific location, than change in the code to travel to Home Location the line
inserttask(ts, TASKTYPE_TRAVEL, dest, NULL, 0, 1);
to
inserttask(ts, TASKTYPE_TRAVELTOLOC, NULL, NULL, 3, 3, 3);

Be aware that it makes a difference if you use the OnResourceAvailable in the Dispatcher or Transporter. Try it you to learn what happens.

I did not test all the things, just wrote some out of my head, because you use an older version and I got some errors in the system console. And if I provide you a model on a newer version you could not use it.

Anyway, try it out and I hope you can find the solution for your model.

Dear Tom,

thanks for your hints! I managed to organise the transportes via item type, the way i want.

By continuing developoing the model some more questions came out:

In my arrival schedule, i noticed that the time objects generate from source and objects reach the processor are different.
Can this change only by setting speed of transporter and distance in a proper way or should a source sen t some kind of message to the thansporter ??

Thanks is advance!

Eleni,

I had a look into your model and my question is, if the model works in your eyes correct?
In my eyesin the OnResourceAvailable of the transporters you define the destination as “setloc(current,-16,-3,0)”.Because the destination is defined as a treenode a node is expected. The model gives error messages and the transporter jumps to a location, at least when I run the model. I am pretty sure, that you should change the travel task to atraveltoloc task as described in my last post.

You are right, that the flowitems need time from the Source to the Processor, becauseof the transportation. I do not understand your question, because I am not surewhat you are looking for. Yes, if you increase the speed of the transporter the flowitems will arrive earlier at the processor. In other words, if you have a transport, flowitems will spend time at the transport.

If you could explain in more detail what you are looking for, we hopefully will find a solution.

One small suggestion. I would use on the Source in the Exit Trigger the Set Color pick option, because than the color shows the item type and this helps to understands what happens in the model.

Hello Eleni,

if you do not want that the transport consume simulation time, then you can deactivate the use transport option in the flow tab of the source. The model has to work without taskexecuters for transport, too.

Jörg

Good morning and thank you for your attention!

OnResourceAvailable of the transporters you define the destination as “setloc(current,-16,-3,0)”

dear Tom,
to me the model run properly, so i did not notice the mistake... all thought this does not mean that it does not exist...
On tht OnResourceAvailable code i set :

treenode dest = setloc(current,-16,9,0);
only to call the "dest" later in:
inserttask(ts, TASKTYPE_TRAVELTOLOC, NULL, NULL, xloc(dest), yloc(dest), zloc(dest)); ...
It should be an int rather that a treenode ?

f you do not want that the transport consume simulation time, then you can deactivate the use transport option in the flow tab of the source.

Dear Jörg,
actually i am planning to make the transporters look like trucks, and make them obey to the source's plan. You are right, i do not need them to consume time from my simulation, but then how i could call them ??

Thank you in advance!!

Hello Eleni,

you have expected a behaviour with the code
treenode dest = setloc(current,-16,9,0);
that doesn't exists.
The funktion setloc(..) isn't a pointer with given reference and a treenode doesn't contain a source code. The function sets the location of an object right now, but it isn't itself a location.
You have expected something from another programming language, but you get an error. If you do not know a function or a behaviour, don't assume test it.

Jörg