Manufacturing Simulation Using Excel?

[wolverineb]

Has anyone used Excel to simulate a manufacturing process? I am pretty fluent in VBA, but can't find anything on this.

Basically, I don't need fancy graphics, just queuing processes and accumulation numbers at each process step, etc. Obviously, stochastics are also involved.

Sorry to be general, but I am still in the "can this be done" stage. I just don't see the need for Arena or some other large and expensive program if I can code this in and display results at various time intervals.

Thanks!
Dave

 

[Damon Ostrander]

Hi Dave,

I'm certain that your manufacturing process can be simulated in VBA. I have developed numerous simulations in VBA, including some very large Monte-Carlo simulations, system throughput models, etc. For some very sophisticated modelling, expecially if it requires dynamic graphics, Excel & VBA may not be the most efficient platform, but for lots of applications Excel & VBA provide an excellent and fast development environment, especially considering that I/O can be provided via worksheets, charts, etc.

Damon

 

[wolverineb]

Thanks Damon, that's good news. You wouldn't happen to have an example you could email me would you?

Regards,
Dave
wolverineb@yahoo.com

 

[Damon Ostrander]

Hi Dave,

Unfortunately all of the most impressive simulations I have done are either proprietary to my company or classified. I wish I could share some of them since most people that have seen them are amazed that these types of things can be done with Excel.

But at least as a token offering I will send you a little demo of Eratosthenes' Sieve algorithm for finding prime numbers. Just as an aside, Eratosthenes was born in 276 BC, and was quite a smart fellow. He was the first person to measure the diameter of the earth, and got it almost exactly at 25,000 miles. Today many people think that before Columbus' time everyone thought the world was flat. Not so!