SKIM: A simulation sketchpad for plant design

This paper describes the development of a simulation sketchpad for use by engineers who design quasi-continuous manufacturing plants. The concept is of a simple data-driven simulation package which is based on a very small number of building blocks and yet is powerful enough for proper use. The paper defines quasi-continuous manufacturing, discusses the ideas of the sketchpad and describes their implementation in prototype software known as SKIM. Finally, the paper reflects on the development of SKIM and suggests improvements to the prototype which have validity for data-driven software in general.