Effect of gender, carrying and planting the pole on approach step parameters in young pole vaulters

In pole vaulting, take-off speed is considered as a major determinant of performance. Pole carriage could affect the speed acquired during the approach and at the take-off. This study investigated different types of runs performed randomly by young male and female expert athletes: maximal sprint, maximal pole carriage run, maximal run-up with simulated pole plant and competition situation. Speed profile was determined with a radar gun and spatiotemporal parameters were recorded for the last 20 m of the approach with the Optojump Next system. For both genders, mechanical variables were compared using two-way ANOVAs with repeated measurements. Pole carriage represents the main cause of speed decrease for both men (−5.8%) and women (−6.2%). A step rate decrease during pole carriage was pointed out with an increase of contact time for both men and women. Significant speed decrease was observed for women at the take-off compared to pole plant simulation (−4.3%), while not for men. Those results provide a new insight for pole vault training allowing to update training process with specific exercises leading to reduce speed loss at take-off.

ANALYSIS OF THE SELECTED SIMULATION SOFTWARE PACKAGES: A STUDY

The simulation software market is becoming more complex and universal. Computer simulations are thus more accessible and are becoming a modern tool that has a wide application in industry. Their potential and benefits can be used in small and large projects. A simulation model can take into account inventory, assembly, production and human resources, leading to decisions that can maintain or improve efficiency at the lowest possible cost. The data obtained through the simulation allow to test different combinations and scenarios in the virtual world. The benefits of manufacturing simulation include reducing investment risk, minimizing waste, improving efficiency, reducing energy consumption and even increasing worker health. The question arises as to which of the possible simulation packages is the most suitable for a given company, so that the investments made are the best possible. In the first part of the paper the theoretical basis of simulation in Industry 4.0 is presented, including the description of the possible simulation modelling tools. The second part of the paper offers comparative and descriptive analysis of six selected discrete-event simulation software packages – AnyLogic, Arena, FlexSim, SIMUL8, Tecnomatix Plant Simulation and WITNESS. The given simulation tools are compared based on their main characteristics, simulation features, application areas and popularity among the companies which use simulation software packages.

Avoiding Covid-19 Using a 3D Digital Mock Up and Augmented Reality with Cobot in Digital Factory

The Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0 is extremely relevant and important in manufacturing for several reasons. Failing to adopt the technology of the Fourth Industrial Revolution can cause organizations to fall behind, as their operations are not digitized enough in benchmarking competitors. A major industry as bicycle manufacturing needs to be transformed into a digital factory in order to keep up with the evolving technology. The objectives of this research are in designing a 3D digital mock up and Augmented Reality (AR) for bicycle frame production in the form of digital factory for increasing production capability by decreasing the break-even point whilst avoiding Covid-19 contraction using Tecnomatix Plant Simulation and Unity 3D programs. This research constructed three alternative digital factory layouts that are designed by using a 3D simulation program. The risk of Covid-19 contraction points and the three layouts of cost per unit are analyzed. The results show that the break-even point of the first to the third layouts with Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) are 26,580, 26,322 and 25,354 units respectively. The result of the risk about Covid-19 contraction points from the first to the third layout with AGV are 21,272, 2,872 and 0 points respectively. This means the most appropriate layout for bicycle frame production is the third layout due to the best break-even point that can significantly avoid Covid-19 contraction. The benefit of this research is to integrate a 3D digital mock up, AR and Cobot including AGV to assist the resilience of operations with a dynamic industrial environment.

An Optimization Tool for Production Planning: A Case Study in a Textile Industry

The textile industry is an important sector of the Brazilian economy, being considered the fifth largest textile industry in the world. To support further growth and development in this sector, this document proposes a process for production analysis through the use of Discrete Event Simulation (DES) and optimization through genetic algorithms. The focus is on production planning for weaving processes and optimization to help make decisions about batch sizing and production scheduling activities. In addition, the correlations between some current technological trends and their implications for the textile industry are also highlighted. Another important contribution of this study is to detail the use of the commercial software Tecnomatix Plant Simulation 13®, to simulate and optimize a production problem by applying genetic algorithms with real production data.

Production Line Virtualization Process Using Plant Simulation Tool

The constant changes in the world generate demands for improvements in processes, either by reducing costs or increasing capacity. One of the most used methods today for process optimization is Discrete Simulation. This research presents a discrete simulation application, using the Tecnomatix Plant Simulation software to simulate a production line in the Manaus Industrial Pole. Mathematical modeling made it possible to understand the parameters involved in the production process and worked as a guide for the production line's composition in the Plant Simulation environment. The production line modeled in Plant Simulation used real input data obtained in two months of production in 2020. The results obtained showed that the modeling reached the objective of virtualizing the production process, once that the differences between the simulation and the real process were at most 1.07%.

Simulation analysis and optimization of garment manufacturing process based on Em-Plant software

In recent years, the way of competition has changed in terms of garment manufacturing. Quality and scale competition gradually turn into speed competition. Garment manufacturers need to shorten the production cycle to win development opportunities. This paper takes a garment manufacturing factory as the research object, and innovatively uses the MOST method and Em-Plant simulation to improve the efficiency of its production line. According to each activity, operation time and worker assignment of the garment manufacturing process, the corresponding simulation model based on Em-Plant software is created to reveal the current problems existing in the manufacturing process. By analyzing these results, the bottlenecks in the process are found out. Applying theoretical knowledge such as production line balancing, lean production, motion study and time analysis, the improvement two plans are put forward, and the corresponding simulation results are given subsequently. Finally, a relatively better improvement plan is determined, which can better achieve the goal of balancing production line, improving efficiency, and reducing cost.

Optimization of production system in Plant Simulation

An optimization of the production process is defined as the search for solutions with improved production efficiency. Process optimization should be one of the main components of a business strategy that not only delivers benefits to customers but also helps increase the performance of production processes and benefits the entire business. The traditional approaches to job shop scheduling are based on the exact mathematically formalized model. If the number of model parameters is high and the environment is rather uncertain, the practical applications are quite restricted. That is why the theory proposes an approach based on a large-scale computer simulation. The main goal of this paper is to show that in a concrete company case, the simulation-based approach provides increased productivity. The presented study proposes the practical application of the Tecnomatix software used in the research to optimize the production system. The partial aims of the paper are as follows: (1) to create a simulation model of the production system with the help of the Plant Simulation module, (2) to model the current state of matters in the company, and (3) to propose a solution to the problem. Ultimately, we show that the simulation approach to the production line control provides rather effective solutions when compared to the intuitive one based on trial-and-error experience. The improvement includes a significant (1) shortening of the production cycle and (2) increase in productivity.