DESIGN OF AN INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL FACTORY USING CELL FORMATION METHODOLOGIES

T. Kesavadas, M. Ernzer

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

This paper describes an interactive virtual enviroiunent for modeling and designing factories and shop floors. The factory building tool is developed as an open architecture in which various modules can be utilized to quickly implement factory design algorithms ranging from plant layout to factory flow analysis. Software modules and utilities have been implemented to allow easy set-up of the visual interface. In this paper this virtual factory is used to implement cellular manufacturing (CM) system. CM has traditionally been a very complicated system to implement in practice. However the productivity rise obtained by the successful implementation of the system has been proved to be immense. Several issues involved in implementing CM within our virtual factory machine modeling and interface designs for defining the cells, are discussed. The mathematical clustering algorithm called Modified Boolean Method was implemented to automatically generate complex virtual environments. The virtual factory makes the process of CM-based factory design a very easy and intuitive process. Virtual factory interface also allows easy reassignment of machines and parts, subcontracting of bottleneck parts and rearranging of machines within the same design environment, making this a productive industrial tool.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationIndustrial Virtual Reality
Subtitle of host publicationManufacturing and Design Tool for the Next Millennium
PublisherAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Pages201-208
Number of pages8
ISBN (Electronic)9780791816363
DOIs
StatePublished - 1999
Externally publishedYes
EventASME 1999 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, IMECE 1999 - Nashville, United States
Duration: Nov 14 1999Nov 19 1999

Publication series

NameASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Proceedings (IMECE)
Volume1999-S

Conference

ConferenceASME 1999 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, IMECE 1999
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityNashville
Period11/14/9911/19/99

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Mechanical Engineering

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'DESIGN OF AN INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL FACTORY USING CELL FORMATION METHODOLOGIES'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this