Computer simulation of production systems for woven fabric manufacture

This paper reports a research and development of a suite of generic software program entitled TEXSIM (TEXtile SIMulator). The software is mainly intended to create simulation models of weaving of production systems without any programming and automatically performs the simulation study and produces results to understand the stochastic behaviour of the system as well as to analyze the system performances to solve the real life weaving production management problems. The ‘TEXSIM’ reads the input parameters from the user in an on-line session through its user-interface, written in FORTRAN'77, and interactively uses WITNESS, a manufacturing simulation package containing the basic simulation model building blocks, and creates the simulation model in accordance with the user's specifications and conducts the simulation experiments and produces results. The objective is to focus on the practicality and simplicity of simulation model building of a weaving production system with a readily available suite of user-friendly program TEXSIM within few minutes without expertise and background of simulation technique and the knowledge of computer simulation programming as well as the skill of handling of commercial simulation package. It also highlights the importance of use of computer simulation technique as a modern, powerful and flexible management analysis tool in weaving factories. Textile engineers and technologists, particularly the managers who have no background of simulation can take full advantage of the use of simulation technique to analyze their present complex weaving production systems, rather than using the conventional analytical rule of thumb methods, to help the management to plan, design and operate their systems in an efficient manner to improve the manufacturing productivity. TEXSIM also facilitates the scheduling of production within the factory through simulation.