FlexSim: First Model Building Experience and Basic Process Analysis

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Note: This article is written and published in Ukrainian and is a translated version of the original published here. 

Entry

When I first got to know FlexSim, it was interesting to understand how quickly you can go from a simple model to getting the first analytical results.

Building a simple model

To start, the classic structure was used:

Source → Queue → Processor → Sink

This is a minimal set of objects that allows you to simulate a typical process:

• Object generation
• Accumulation in the queue
• Processing
• Completion of the process

This scheme is well suited for the first acquaintance, as it allows you to quickly get a working model without complex settings.

At this stage, it is important that the model is created quickly enough — just drag and drop objects from the library and connect them together. This allows you to focus not on building, but on checking the logic of the process.

Compared to the CAD approach, where a significant part of the time is spent on geometry, here the main emphasis immediately shifts to the behavior of the system.

Logic of the model

Once the model is launched, it becomes obvious that FlexSim works on a different principle than CAD systems.

If CAD focuses on geometry and parameters, then the key role here is played by:

• Object Flow
• Interaction between elements
• Behavior of the system in time

That is, the model does not describe the form, but the process.

This is clearly seen even in a simple example: changing the parameters of one object (for example, processing time) immediately affects the entire system. In this way, it is possible to quickly test different scenarios without changing the structure of the model itself.

Interface and settings

At the initial stage, the interface may not look entirely intuitive.

Highlights:

• parameters are set through object properties
• Various settings are located in tabs
• Relationships between objects must be specified explicitly

After several attempts, it becomes clear that standard objects already contain basic logic, and this greatly simplifies the work.

Practical results

Even a simple model allows you to get basic analytics:

• Output is the number of processed objects
• %Processing — loading the resource
• Content / Staytime — queue behavior

These data allow us to assess:

• Process efficiency
• the presence of delays
• possible bottlenecks

Thus, even the basic model makes it possible to draw the first technical conclusions.

For example, increasing the processing time on the Processor leads to the accumulation of objects in the Queue, which is immediately visible in the growth of Content and Staytime.

Thus, even a simple model allows you to identify potential bottlenecks of the system without complex calculations.

Even at this level, it becomes clear that the model can be used not only for demonstration, but also for testing various scenarios of the system.

The role of 3D in the model

From the CAD user's point of view, it is important to note that 3D in FlexSim has a supporting role.

Geometry:

• does not determine the behavior of the system
• used primarily for visualization
• does not affect the results of the calculation

This distinguishes the approach from classical CAD systems, where geometry is the basis of the model.

This means that geometry fidelity is not critical at the initial stage. It is much more important to correctly describe the logic of the process and the interaction of objects.

Materials to start

At the initial stage, it is useful to use videos with examples of building models.

In particular, I used open materials, which show:

• Creating simple models
• Connecting objects
• basic logic of work

Such as:

https://www.youtube.com/@InterMariumFlexSim

This allows you to quickly move on to practice and better understand the tool.

Conclusion

FlexSim is a tool that needs to change the way you approach modeling.

The main difference is that the model describes a process rather than geometry.

Already at the basic level, you can:

• Create a working model
• Get Insights
• evaluate the behavior of the system

Further exploration of the tool is likely to involve complicating models, adding logic, and analyzing processes in more detail. Already at this stage, it can be seen that FlexSim can be an effective tool for evaluating production systems.

This makes FlexSim a handy tool for quickly evaluating and experimenting with manufacturing processes even in the early stages of design.