Flexsim
Encyclopedia
FlexSim is a discrete event manufacturing simulation
software developed by FlexSim Software Products, Inc. The FlexSim family currently includes the basic FlexSim simulation software and three product lines facing different customers established upon the basic FlexSim, including the FlexSim distributed simulation system (FlexSim DS), FlexSim container terminal library (FlexSim CT) and FlexSim Healthcare Simulation (FlexSim HC). It uses OpenGL
environment to realize real-time 3D rendering and it is declared to be the only simulation software that incorporates C++
IDE
and compiler in the graphic modeling environment.
. F&H Simulations assisted with the development of robust objects for use in Taylor ED. In 2000, F&H Holland was acquired. F&H Simulations became independent and continued by Dr. Eamonn Lavery and Anthony Johnson. F&H Simulations, Inc. changed its name to FlexSim Software Products, Inc. and started to develop its own 3D simulation software, known now as FlexSim.
FlexSim 1.0 was released in February 2003. The software is constantly updated since then. The most recent of FlexSim release is version 5.1.2 released on February 1, 2011. As highly customized application oriented package, FlexSim CT was developed for operation in container terminal and released in 2006. Afterwards, FlexSim DS was developed for distributed simulation system, mainly serving for military and FlexSim HC was developed for healthcare simulation.
Flexsim Software Products, Inc. headquarter is located in Orem, Utah
, U.S.A.
FlexSim is used by many large companies engaged in simulating in different applications. The firms, including manufacturing companies, such as Coca-Cola
, Volkswagen
, Boeing
, Michelin
, etc., logistic companies, such as FedEx
, DHL
, APM Terminals
, etc., transportation companies, such as Norfolk Southern, etc, and many others.
User can build the model by dragging and dropping the abstracted predefined 3D objects from different classes to layout, link and functionalize the model. For the senior users, the entire dragging and dropping procedures can be realized and the object parameters and behaviors can be modified using both FlexScript and C++ programming languages.
ExpertFit has the most comprehensive set of features:
Expertfit is included free with every full Flexsim license.
Simulation
Simulation is the imitation of some real thing available, state of affairs, or process. The act of simulating something generally entails representing certain key characteristics or behaviours of a selected physical or abstract system....
software developed by FlexSim Software Products, Inc. The FlexSim family currently includes the basic FlexSim simulation software and three product lines facing different customers established upon the basic FlexSim, including the FlexSim distributed simulation system (FlexSim DS), FlexSim container terminal library (FlexSim CT) and FlexSim Healthcare Simulation (FlexSim HC). It uses OpenGL
OpenGL
OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...
environment to realize real-time 3D rendering and it is declared to be the only simulation software that incorporates C++
C++
C++ is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled, general-purpose programming language. It is regarded as an intermediate-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. It was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell...
IDE
Integrated development environment
An integrated development environment is a software application that provides comprehensive facilities to computer programmers for software development...
and compiler in the graphic modeling environment.
The Company and history
FlexSim was founded in 1993 by Bill Nordgren (Co-Founder Promodel Corporation, 1988), Roger Hullinger, and Cliff King, originally under the name F&H Simulations, Inc. F&H Simulations sold, supported, and conducted training courses for Taylor II simulation software – owned and developed by Holland's F&H Simulation B.V (F&H Holland). In 1998, F&H Holland developed the first generation 3D object oriented simulation engine Taylor ED (Enterprise Dynamics)Enterprise Dynamics
Enterprise Dynamics is a discrete event simulation software platform developed by INCONTROL Simulation Solutions. It is used to design and implement simulation solutions. The Enterprise Dynamics platform has several market-specific libraries to conform to customer requirements...
. F&H Simulations assisted with the development of robust objects for use in Taylor ED. In 2000, F&H Holland was acquired. F&H Simulations became independent and continued by Dr. Eamonn Lavery and Anthony Johnson. F&H Simulations, Inc. changed its name to FlexSim Software Products, Inc. and started to develop its own 3D simulation software, known now as FlexSim.
FlexSim 1.0 was released in February 2003. The software is constantly updated since then. The most recent of FlexSim release is version 5.1.2 released on February 1, 2011. As highly customized application oriented package, FlexSim CT was developed for operation in container terminal and released in 2006. Afterwards, FlexSim DS was developed for distributed simulation system, mainly serving for military and FlexSim HC was developed for healthcare simulation.
Flexsim Software Products, Inc. headquarter is located in Orem, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, U.S.A.
Application and Uptake
As general purpose simulation software, FlexSim is widely used in many fields:- Manufacturing : Production assemble line,
- Logistics and distribution : Container terminal operation, supply chain design, distribution center work flow, service and storage layout, etc.
- Transportation : Highway system traffic flow, transit station pedestrian flow, maritime vessel coordination, custom traffic congestion, etc.
- Others: Oil field or mining process, networking data flow, etc.
FlexSim is used by many large companies engaged in simulating in different applications. The firms, including manufacturing companies, such as Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
, Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
, Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
, Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
, etc., logistic companies, such as FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
, DHL
DHL
DHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post providing international express mail services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail....
, APM Terminals
APM Terminals
APM Terminals is an international container terminal operating company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands. It is one of the world's leading port and terminal operators as well as providing cargo support and container Inland Services, and is the largest port and terminal operating company in...
, etc., transportation companies, such as Norfolk Southern, etc, and many others.
Object Oriented
FlexSim uses object oriented design as its software structure, and the FlexSim objects are defined and programmed in four classes: fixed resource class, task executer class, node class and visual object class.- Fixed resource class: this is the major objects of the simulation and determines the flow of the simulation model, including source, queue, processor, sink, conveyor, etc.;
- Task executer class: the objects inherited from this class obtain tasks from the objects inherited from fixed resource class and assign the tasks to other objects, including operator, transporter, etc.;
- Node class: the objects inherited from this class are used to design the working route of objected inherited from task executer class, including network node and traffic control;
- Visual object class: the objects inherited from the class are used to display and collect the input/output message, icon, diagram and tables.
User can build the model by dragging and dropping the abstracted predefined 3D objects from different classes to layout, link and functionalize the model. For the senior users, the entire dragging and dropping procedures can be realized and the object parameters and behaviors can be modified using both FlexScript and C++ programming languages.
Expertfit comes bundled with Flexsim
The "ExpertFit" Distribution-fitting software was developed by Dr. Averill M. Law, who is widely recognized as one of the world's foremost authorities on simulation and distribution fitting.ExpertFit has the most comprehensive set of features:
- Allows you to use 40 different distributions.
- Provides more than 30 high-quality graphs and four technically correct goodness-of-fit tests.
- Allows multiple distributions on a plot.
- Batch-mode capability for analyzing a large number of data sets.
Expertfit is included free with every full Flexsim license.
See also
- Comparison of agent-based modeling software
- List of computer simulation software
- List of discrete event simulation software
- Computer simulationComputer simulationA computer simulation, a computer model, or a computational model is a computer program, or network of computers, that attempts to simulate an abstract model of a particular system...