Rockwell Automation Arena Packaging Users Guide - Manual (Page 11)

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General Concepts
Template overview
Arena Packaging is one of a family of application solution templates (ASTs) built on the
Arena simulation system. It is designed specifically for performing accurate and efficient
simulations of high-speed, high-volume manufacturing systems, where the processing rates
take place at hundreds, even thousands, of entities per minute. The Packaging template
enables users to build and run simulation models of high-speed processing lines quickly
and easily, and to analyze the results that these models produce.
To use the Arena Packaging template, you attach the Packaging panel to the Arena
development environment. The Packaging panel contains a collection of objects or
modules. Each module defines the logic, data, animation, and/or statistics collection for a
particular element in a model (e.g., machines, conveyors, operators).
The Packaging panel contains the following modules:
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A Machine module for modeling the physical components of a line where the actual
processing or conversion of units takes place.
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A Conveyor module for modeling the accumulating conveyors between machines
where units are transferred and buffered.
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Machine Link and Conveyor Link modules for linking machines and conveyors
directly together.
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Merge, Split, and Switch modules for modeling transfer points between conveyors
where product flow is split or combined (i.e., flow controls).
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Operator, Operator Group, and Operator Schedule modules for modeling the
availability and organization of labor in the system.
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Palletizer and Storage modules for modeling the physical components of a line where
units are stored on or removed from pallets.
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Valve and Tank modules for modeling fluid constraints of filling operations.
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Product and Production Plans modules for defining multiple products processed in a
system and their requirements.
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An Actions module for performing actions on a high-speed system (e.g., changing run
speeds of machines, adjusting valves, adding pallets to a storage) using discrete
entities and logic.
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A Label module for labeling a particular portion of the model logic, whereby discrete
entities may be sent easily to the label from other locations in the model.