Papers
Discrete rate simulation papers and publications
What we have written about modeling bulk flow and high-speed lines since 1995, and the research by others that built on the same idea.
Background
Where these papers fit
Andy Siprelle created the technique in 1990 as bulk flow simulation. It was later renamed discrete rate simulation. The first paper on it was Siprelle and Parsons at the 1995 Winter Simulation Conference, followed by Siprelle and Phelps in 1997 and the SDI Industry papers in 1998 and 1999.
A second generation came from the ExtendSim® developers at Imagine That: the linear programming paper by Damiron and Nastasi (2008) and Krahl's ExtendSim paper (2009). Other researchers have since applied the method and compared it with discrete event simulation.
How the list is split
By SDI authors means the byline includes someone from Simulation Dynamics. Related research is work by others on the same methods.
Links go to the open proceedings where they exist. Two PDFs are hosted here.
By SDI authors
Papers by SDI authors
- 1995Modeling a Bulk Manufacturing System Using Extend
The first paper on the method: an Extend library built for bulk and fluid flow, used to model a four-line soap plant and test expansion plans and schedules.
- 1997Simulation of Bulk Flow and High Speed Operations
Introduces SDI Industry, a framework for modeling bulk, continuous, batch and high-speed operations with changeovers, breakdowns and shifts.
- 1998SDI Industry: An Extend-Based Tool for Continuous and High-Speed Manufacturing
How to analyze throughput in a making-and-packing plant, where tanks, mixers and dryers feed high-speed packaging lines.
- 1998Capacity Planning Simulation of an Olive Processing Plant
A model of an olive plant's processing and canning found its real capacity, tested scheduling rules and showed where capital should go. Read the case.
- 1999SDI Industry Pro: Simulation for Enterprise-Wide Problem Solving
Builds large models from hierarchical blocks, so a model of a whole enterprise stays readable and easy to extend.
- 2001Combined Use of Optimization and Simulation Technologies to Design an Optimal Logistics Network
Pairs a network optimization tool with a dynamic simulation model: optimization picks the supply chain structure, and simulation tests whether that structure holds up in operation. Supply chain simulation.
- 2002Non-Item Based Discrete-Event Simulation Tools
Uses a bottling line to compare modeling with items, with flow, and with pure data, and shows where the item approach falls short.
In the trade press
- 2001Simulation Dynamics Puts Power into SCM
A magazine article on how a large food manufacturer used our Supply Chain Builder to run six months of its supply chain in minutes and test multi-plant scenarios. Supply chain simulation.
Related research
Related research by other authors
Papers on discrete rate, high-speed and mesoscopic (flow-rate) simulation. None of these were written by SDI.
- 1996Simulation for High-Speed Processing
Why modeling every item slows high-speed line models down, and two ways around it: continuous equations and aggregation.
- 2008Discrete Rate Simulation Using Linear Programming
Uses linear programming to compute flow rates across a discrete rate model, from the ExtendSim developers.
- 2009ExtendSim Advanced Technology: Discrete Rate Simulation
Compares continuous, discrete event and discrete rate models in ExtendSim and explains when rate-based modeling fits.
- 2011A Mesoscopic Approach to Modeling and Simulation of Logistics Processes
Models logistics flows as piecewise-constant rates instead of individual objects, so models are faster to build and run.
- 2012Mesoscopic Supply Chain Simulation
Applies the mesoscopic, rate-based approach to supply chain simulation and compares it with other methods.
- 2013Simulation of Mixed Discrete and Continuous Systems: An Iron Ore Terminal Example
Solves flow rates with a network max-flow method instead of linear programming, on a model of an iron ore terminal.
- 2014A Global Approach for Discrete Rate Simulation
A later paper from ExtendSim's discrete rate developers on computing rates across a whole model.
- 2016Comparison of Discrete Rate Modeling and Discrete Event Simulation: Methodological and Performance Aspects
Compares discrete rate and discrete event models of the same system on method and run time.
- 2017Application of Discrete-Rate Based Mesoscopic Simulation Models for Production and Logistics Planning
Uses discrete rate models for production and logistics planning tasks in the automotive industry.
- 2017Comparison of a Microscopic Discrete-Event and a Mesoscopic Discrete-Rate Simulation Model for Planning a Production Line
Builds the same automotive production line both ways and compares effort, speed and accuracy.
- 2020High Accuracy Discrete Rate and Reliability Modeling to Drive Improvement of Plant OEE and Throughput
A discrete rate and reliability model of a salad dressing plant matched actual OEE within 1% and found improvements the team did not expect.
- 2020Mesoscopic Discrete-Rate-Based Simulation Models for Production and Logistics Planning
Surveys automotive planners on how they use simulation, then tests discrete rate models built in ExtendSim on two planning tasks.
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