Appendix IB. Course Syllabi

IE 419 Manufacturing Systems Modeling

Catalog Description:
Modeling material handling systems, inventory systems, and production systems for performance analysis. Introduction to analysis, simulation, and physical models of manufacturing systems. Simulation languages including ARENA and SLAM. Non-major graduate credit.

Prerequisites: IE 313

Text: Simulation with Arena by Kelton, Sadowski, and Sadowski, McGraw-Hill, 1998.

Course Objectives:

1. The students will learn how to build computer simulation models of systems in general and manufacturing systems in particular.
2. Students will learn how to utilize computer simulation models of systems to evaluate the performance of systems and make selections between design alternatives.
3. The students will practice and refine their oral and written communication skills.
4. Provide students with opportunities to learn and practice how to work in teams to develop and utilize simulation.

Topics Covered:

1. Steps in a simulation study.
2. Modeling concepts.
3. Data collection and analysis.
4. Model verification and validation.
5. Simulation output analysis.
6. Experimentation with simulation models; optimum seeking techniques.
7. Comparison and evaluation of alternative system designs.
8. Continuous modeling.

Class/Laboratory Schedule:
The class meets three times each week for 50 minutes in an active learning environment. Students complete approximately 4 simulation homework assignments, which may be done individually or in teams of 2 or 3 students. In addition, students work in teams of 2 or 3 to complete an end-of-semester simulation project with an industrial partner. Grades are based upon written and oral reports on the simulation projects, and two midterm exams plus a final exam are administered.

Professional Component:
Students learn how to approach real-world, open-ended industrial simulation problems, including evaluating alternatives and making recommendations.

Relationship to Program Objectives:

• Objectives 1, 3, 6 - The students are learning to model industrial systems with simulation in order to analyze system performance and develop improved production designs.
• Objective 2 and 7 - The students learn how to model not only manufacturing processes, but also other types of business processes. They will then be able to build models that integrate both engineering and business processes of an organization, and thus be able to discern interactions of the two.
• Objective 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 - The simulation models that the students build will include processes involving people, material, equipment, information, and possibly control.
• Objective 3, 5, and 7 - Students work in teams of 2 or 3 from the class, but they also interact with engineers from an industrial partner. As they must provide leadership to the process in order to complete their project, they are exposed to leading multi-functional teams.

Prepared by: Douglas D. Gemmill

Date Prepared: December 17, 1999