topic Re: Split flow of massFlowConveyor in FlexSim Forum

Split flow of massFlowConveyor

patrick_zweekhorst — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 14:18:42 GMT

[ FlexSim 23.1.4 ]

Hi,

I am trying to model a can line where the first 500 cans need to be sent to waste. I am using the mass flow conveyor for this, but it is not completely working as I want it to work. The model looks like this:

Where the bottom lane is the lane for waste. Sending the first 500 cans to the bottom line is working, by using the Upstream Output Order property. I was thinking to change those numbers once I hit 500 cans. But this is not working. The flow just continues on the bottom conveyor. Even when stopping the first MFC, changing the numbers and starting it again it won't change the route.

Is it even possible to use the Upstream Output order property like this?
Or are there other options to get this working?

Many thanks in advance,

Patrick

SplitFLow_1.fsm

Re: Split flow of massFlowConveyor

arunTTT2P — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 18:08:13 GMT

Using set property on UpstreamOutputOrder and using values 0 and 1. The route is behaving as per your description.

Object MFC2 = Model.find("MFC2");
Object MFC3 = Model.find("MFC3");
MFC2.setProperty("UpstreamOutputOrder",0);
MFC3.setProperty("UpstreamOutputOrder",1);

splitflow-1_1.fsm

Re: Split flow of massFlowConveyor

patrick_zweekhorst — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 08:16:47 GMT

Perfect, we should have thought of this ourselves. Thanks

Re: Split flow of massFlowConveyor

patrick_zweekhorst — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 08:29:03 GMT

@Arun Kr ,

It looks like setting 0 will close the upstream conveyor. Which indeeds works very well for my current situation. Would you also have expected that setting 1 for MFC2 and 2 for MFC3 after the wait for event would have send the product to MFC2? Doing this does not effect the flow. Where the manual says "

For example, an Upstream Output Order value of 1 will be sorted before an Upstream Output Order of 2."

And the manual does not mention anything about setting value 0

Re: Split flow of massFlowConveyor

arunTTT2P — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 08:59:07 GMT

Yes, I was also expecting the same. Somehow that's not working and as per the manual, it should affect the flow.

The idea of upstream output order "0" came from this post. (In fact, it was Anthony's suggestion)

https://answers.flexsim.com/questions/94919/stopping-and-resuming-mass-flow-conveyors.html

We had a similar requirement of stopping the supply from a mass flow conveyor.