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Identify the arrival styles that can be applied to your Source to control the arrival of 3D source objects in your simulation.
Type:
Tutorial
Length:
5 min.
Transcript
00:03
In FlexSim, a Source is a fixed resource that creates flow items and releases them to travel through your model.
00:10
You can apply an arrival style to a Source to control how 3D source objects enter your simulation.
00:17
With your model open in FlexSim begin by selecting a Source.
00:22
In the Properties panel, Source group, expand Arrival Style to view the available options:
00:29
Inter-Arrival Time, Arrival Schedule, and Arrival Sequence.
00:35
To review each of these options, first, select Inter-Arrival Time.
00:40
This style is the default and allows you to specify an amount of time between the arrival of each item, functioning like a takt time.
00:48
In the Inter-Arrival Time field, enter either a solid value or a distribution.
00:54
In this case, a “triangular” distribution is set, with a minimum of “3”,
00:59
a maximum of “6”, and a mode of “5”, all in seconds.
01:04
In this example, a model has been created to illustrate the arrival style, with a clock above,
01:10
and on the Dashboard, a histogram to illustrate arrivals as the model runs.
01:15
In the Simulation Control bar, click Reset, and then Run.
01:20
With the simulation accelerated, the histogram fills in.
01:24
Then, with the Run Speed reduced, on the Dashboard, you can see the minimum of 3, maximum of 6,
01:32
and a peak forming between 4.9 and 5 seconds.
01:36
This histogram illustrates the time between items coming out of the Source and into the queue to be processed.
01:43
Click Stop.
01:45
The Arrival Schedule style allows you to define when and how many objects flow into your model.
01:51
In this previously created model, when the Source is selected, you see in Properties that the Arrival Style is set to Arrival Schedule.
01:60
Click Edit Table.
02:02
In the Arrivals - Source dialog, specify an arrival time for the objects and the quantity of items to arrive at each interval.
02:10
In this example, at 0 seconds, nothing arrives; at 10 seconds, 2 of Type 1; at 20 seconds, 2 of Type 2; and at 30 seconds, 2 of Type 3.
02:24
Use the arrows to add or remove Arrival rows, or type a number in the Arrivals field.
02:30
By default, ArrivalTime, ItemName, and Quantity columns display in the table.
02:36
To add columns, increase the number of Labels, and then type a name in the column header.
02:42
In this example, a Type Label was added with type 1, 2 or 3 assigned to each Arrival.
02:49
Close the Arrivals – Source dialog.
02:52
In Properties, Repeat Table is selected to repeat the arrivals continuously.
02:57
So for this example, at 40 seconds, 2 of type 1 will arrive again; at 50 seconds, 2 of type 2; and so on.
03:07
To demonstrate this Arrival Schedule, a Dashboard is set up to calculate the number of arrivals in seconds by Type,
03:14
and each type is marked by a color—red for Type 1, green for Type 2, and blue for Type 3.
03:22
Click Reset and then Run to begin the simulation.
03:26
With the simulation accelerated, every 10 seconds, 2 of each type arrive, and this repeats continuously.
03:34
Stop and then Reset the simulation.
03:37
The Arrival Sequence style allows you to define the order in which items are created.
03:43
In this previously created model, with the Source selected, you see in Properties that the Arrival Style is set to Arrival Sequence.
03:51
Click Edit Table.
03:53
In the Arrivals – Source dialog, the default columns are ItemName and Quantity.
03:59
As before, you can add or remove Arrivals as needed, as well as add Labels.
04:05
This table is set to have 3 of Type 1, 3 of Type 2, and then 3 of Type 3 arrive.
04:12
Note that there is no set time,
04:14
meaning that items will arrive as quickly as the Source can move them downstream, in the sequence shown.
04:20
Again, Repeat Table is selected to repeat the sequence.
04:24
Close the dialog.
04:27
In this example, the arrivals are limited based on the available space in the queue.
04:32
Select the Queue to display its Properties, where you see that it is set to a Max Content of 9.
04:39
To view the simulation, click Reset and then Run.
04:43
In the model, three of each type stacks in the queue, with a maximum of nine items, and this sequence repeats continuously.
04:52
Now you know how to use each of the three arrival styles for Source to control how objects flow into your model.
Video transcript
00:03
In FlexSim, a Source is a fixed resource that creates flow items and releases them to travel through your model.
00:10
You can apply an arrival style to a Source to control how 3D source objects enter your simulation.
00:17
With your model open in FlexSim begin by selecting a Source.
00:22
In the Properties panel, Source group, expand Arrival Style to view the available options:
00:29
Inter-Arrival Time, Arrival Schedule, and Arrival Sequence.
00:35
To review each of these options, first, select Inter-Arrival Time.
00:40
This style is the default and allows you to specify an amount of time between the arrival of each item, functioning like a takt time.
00:48
In the Inter-Arrival Time field, enter either a solid value or a distribution.
00:54
In this case, a “triangular” distribution is set, with a minimum of “3”,
00:59
a maximum of “6”, and a mode of “5”, all in seconds.
01:04
In this example, a model has been created to illustrate the arrival style, with a clock above,
01:10
and on the Dashboard, a histogram to illustrate arrivals as the model runs.
01:15
In the Simulation Control bar, click Reset, and then Run.
01:20
With the simulation accelerated, the histogram fills in.
01:24
Then, with the Run Speed reduced, on the Dashboard, you can see the minimum of 3, maximum of 6,
01:32
and a peak forming between 4.9 and 5 seconds.
01:36
This histogram illustrates the time between items coming out of the Source and into the queue to be processed.
01:43
Click Stop.
01:45
The Arrival Schedule style allows you to define when and how many objects flow into your model.
01:51
In this previously created model, when the Source is selected, you see in Properties that the Arrival Style is set to Arrival Schedule.
01:60
Click Edit Table.
02:02
In the Arrivals - Source dialog, specify an arrival time for the objects and the quantity of items to arrive at each interval.
02:10
In this example, at 0 seconds, nothing arrives; at 10 seconds, 2 of Type 1; at 20 seconds, 2 of Type 2; and at 30 seconds, 2 of Type 3.
02:24
Use the arrows to add or remove Arrival rows, or type a number in the Arrivals field.
02:30
By default, ArrivalTime, ItemName, and Quantity columns display in the table.
02:36
To add columns, increase the number of Labels, and then type a name in the column header.
02:42
In this example, a Type Label was added with type 1, 2 or 3 assigned to each Arrival.
02:49
Close the Arrivals – Source dialog.
02:52
In Properties, Repeat Table is selected to repeat the arrivals continuously.
02:57
So for this example, at 40 seconds, 2 of type 1 will arrive again; at 50 seconds, 2 of type 2; and so on.
03:07
To demonstrate this Arrival Schedule, a Dashboard is set up to calculate the number of arrivals in seconds by Type,
03:14
and each type is marked by a color—red for Type 1, green for Type 2, and blue for Type 3.
03:22
Click Reset and then Run to begin the simulation.
03:26
With the simulation accelerated, every 10 seconds, 2 of each type arrive, and this repeats continuously.
03:34
Stop and then Reset the simulation.
03:37
The Arrival Sequence style allows you to define the order in which items are created.
03:43
In this previously created model, with the Source selected, you see in Properties that the Arrival Style is set to Arrival Sequence.
03:51
Click Edit Table.
03:53
In the Arrivals – Source dialog, the default columns are ItemName and Quantity.
03:59
As before, you can add or remove Arrivals as needed, as well as add Labels.
04:05
This table is set to have 3 of Type 1, 3 of Type 2, and then 3 of Type 3 arrive.
04:12
Note that there is no set time,
04:14
meaning that items will arrive as quickly as the Source can move them downstream, in the sequence shown.
04:20
Again, Repeat Table is selected to repeat the sequence.
04:24
Close the dialog.
04:27
In this example, the arrivals are limited based on the available space in the queue.
04:32
Select the Queue to display its Properties, where you see that it is set to a Max Content of 9.
04:39
To view the simulation, click Reset and then Run.
04:43
In the model, three of each type stacks in the queue, with a maximum of nine items, and this sequence repeats continuously.
04:52
Now you know how to use each of the three arrival styles for Source to control how objects flow into your model.
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