Flexsim beginners are sometimes just amazing (Rack - Pick Operator)

At least the two Flexsim beginners I just met (Michael Hartlieb and Michael Pohl).

Four weeks ago this guys purchased Flexsim and three weeks ago I gave these two guys a training class. In between I gave them a little bit of support.

Yesterday they got the assignment to build a model for an operator who picks items directly out of a box from a shelf/rack and puts the box back if he finished picking. If the box is empty the operator will bring the empty box out of the system.

My first thoughts were the following. Use a flow item as box and a label to store how many items are in the box. Make two tables for the rack to store where are the boxes in the rack and the number of items in this box (I like to call this a virtual rack). Change the label and data in global table if items are picked out of a box. Use task sequences for the operator to send him to the right position and use a delay task for the picking time and change the label also in the task sequence. Check if box is empty and if this is the case make a task sequence take the empty box out of the system. Or let the box leave the rack and use the operator with the standard Use Transport task sequence.

Today they send me a little model, where the assignment is solved and they did not use task sequences but had a much better solution.
I asked them and they are willing to share the solution and the model with the community, what I really appreciate.

The main idea of their solution is just to put a Processor into the Operator. The rack just uses the Standard Use Transport task sequence and sends the box to the processor in the operator. The operator travels to the box (right position) and now the process starts (pick time). At the end of the pick time the OnProcessFinish Trigger is used for the logic (update labels and tables). In the Send to the box is send back to the rack or send to the Sink, just using the Standard Use Transport task sequence.

I think this is just brilliant.

I like to thank Michael Hartlieb and Michael Pohl for this great solution and model, just using Standard Flexsim stuff and sharing this model with the Community.

This shows me, that I am too “advanced” now and would have tried to solve the assignment with task sequences which would have been more effort and be more complicated, I guess.

Good Job!

I posted the model in the download section and I did not put a lot of effort into the visualization (just change the shape of the Processor and place the box in the OnEntry), because in my eyes the model speaks for itself and it is in my words a support model and not a sample model. :-)

Here is the link to the model (Support_OperatorPicksFromShelfBoxes_TD) in the Download Section:

http://www.flexsim.com/community/for...do=file&id=173

Great work!

Right away I build a network with an operator into an operator. For me it is the start of a crane substitute. Now each operator can be controlled by a traffic control. And therefor the collision control is easy to realize. It is really amazing. Sometimes one needs only a hint.

Jörg