Inbound logistics computational simulation of the storage and packaging area of a furniture factory: Fid-Bau Portal

Inbound logistics computational simulation of the storage and packaging area of a furniture factory

Torres, M.S. / Moutinho, M.H.C. / Pereira, C.E. / Campana, F.L.

The paper describes lessons learned from a case study of using a computer-based modeling tool for modeling, simulation and analysis of manufacturing systems - eMPlant applied to the planning of the internal logistics of a new furniture manufacturing facility in Brazil. The paper also relates the obtained results in this case study. The project focused the company's storage and delivery area, and different scenarios considering distinct handling methods and working policies were modeled and simulated. The project intended to experiment improvement alternatives in the company's current storage area as basis for planning its new industrial plant. The project was led by CETA-RS (Center of Excellency in Advanced Technologies of Rio Grande do Sul), having partnership with IPA-FhG (Fraunhofer Institute for Production and Industrial Automation, Stuttgart, Germany), and UNISINOS (Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil). The case confirms the feasibility and attractiveness of applying systems simulation as a decision-making support technique in complex planning problems involving logistics in manufacturing companies. The observed results raised important aspects regarding to the storage layout and the way of accomplishing the separation and feeding of the packing lines. In the project's beginning, people believed that a pre-picking in an earlier shift of work would optimize the separation and feeding activities. However, the simulation results demonstrated that this practice would decrease the productivity, nevertheless this practice will become feasible just with the increase of the labor in the process. Another important result concerns the new storage and handling technologies investments. Such investments would not be necessary, because changes in the picking techniques would cause significant improvements.