Tools for Business Process Modelling:
DELMIA Toolset for Product-Process Modelling
DELMIA -a subsidiary of DASSAULT Systems - offers a tool set for modelling and simulation of the manufacturing processes, material flow, equipment planning and factory lay out in the automotive and aerospace industry. The overall goal is to support the roadmap towards the data integrated 'Digital Manufacturing Enterprise'.
In the methodology, three model views are defined, namely that of product, process and resource. Modelling begins with the product information available in the 3D-CAD models and other product data descriptions. Process modelling starts with the so-called static phase using the tool 'Process Engineer' to model the high level processes, described with boxes and connectors following the principle of action-condition and defining resources and consumed resource time for each process step. The resource information is also modelled in the resource view. Each process step can make references/links to the product model e.g. to product objects or object views (sets of attributes). The third step concerns the dynamic simulation of a manufacturing scenario using a different tool called 'Quest'. The model is further refined by adding events, statistical parameter distributions and allows to apply multiple resources to an activity - for instance worker and machine at one activity.
The results of the simulation - activity based cost, time, buffers, bottlenecks , resource utilisation- are presented with a standard reporting facility. In addition, a 3D-animation presents the simulation of the material flow. All needed information is provided from the common data base and can be accessed from the proprietary infrastructure without interfaces. Other tools integrated in this infrastructure support special requirements as lay out planning and simulation, robot collision avoidance, ergonomic aspects etc.
The set of DELMIA modelling tools work on one common data base and infrastructure and , hence enables decision support for manufacturing process planning and control of the shop floor operation.
For more information see ( http://www.delmia.com )