This session will showcase a new workflow of creating a factory layout in Autodesk Factory Design Utilities software and using FlexSim to validate the throughput of the layout, identify potential bottlenecks, and balance resource use. We will also discuss the product roadmap for Factory Design Utilities and FlexSim, as well as the vision for Autodesk Fusion digital factory. Learn how Autodesk is paving the way to connected data and seamless workflows in the Autodesk Fusion industry cloud, as well as enabling factory designers and industrial engineers to validate factory layout designs.

The industry is responsible for a significant part of the global GHG emissions from energy. It is crucial that modern organizations understand energy use in their production facilities. Energy-use planning should consider not only the total amount consumed, but also timing—taking into account intermittent renewable generation, dynamic pricing, and variable CO2 intensity. On-site generation and energy storage cannot be evaluated without a model of the production process. FlexSim is a simulation product that has been used in manufacturing applications for more than 20 years. Flexcon Helios extends general-purpose FlexSim and can specify power requirements for different phases of any process modeled in FlexSim. The simulation can predict a realistic power curve, and the Flexcon Helios module allows users to define a dynamic policy on how energy sources are used. If coupled with an intermittency model, dynamic pricing, or CO2 intensity data, this approach can assess the total costs and carbon footprint of the process.

With new technologies emerging, we're always on the road to explore the digital factory. In this class, we'll share the best practices and approaches regarding the digital factory. First, drive increased efficiency of the factory design and optimization based on CAD workflow and FlexSim process simulation, which is essential for the digital factory. Next, ensure the objects can be tracked throughout the whole lifecycle; we built a "Factory Object TAG Rules" system for digital delivery. Finally, connected IoT devices help realize digital twins to streamline, automate, and predict tasks. And we explore AI to reinforce human intelligence so that it can achieve more.

Head of Innovation Dan Middleton reveals Edwards Vacuum's (Atlas Copco Group) strategic approach to Net Zero manufacturing using digital-twin technology. Edwards' unique approach involves an extensive digital asset library and FlexSim-optimized processes, promoting lean and agile manufacturing and rapid enhancements in production, and boosting business performance. Using a novel digital-twin approach that effectively integrates its business processes enables Edwards to evaluate the impact its operations have on market trends and business cycles, and to support investment decisions in equipment, facilities, and workforce.

How efficiently are your products getting from production to warehouse to shipping docks? As you consider new factory designs to improve these material-handling processes, it's critical to have a complete understanding of how your resources and processes interconnect. When Cardinal Glass wanted to optimize its material handling to minimize shipping delays from the factory, the company used simulation with FlexSim to validate its proof of concept and discover new improvement opportunities. The simulation helped to rebalance the workload and identify a reconfiguration that led to a 29% decrease in shipping operation time. This also formed the basis for a digital twin that enables real-time optimization of warehouse goods storage and dock assignments, with daily assignment, location, and maintenance recommendations.

Join us for a thought-provoking panel discussion that dives into the pivotal role of discrete event simulation in modern factory design. Our expert panelists will explore how this technology is transforming the way organizations visualize, analyze, and optimize their production processes. Simulation offers invaluable insights by modeling complex factory operations, allowing users to identify potential bottlenecks, balance resource use, and discover opportunities for increased efficiency and productivity. Our speakers will share their valuable experiences in using tools like FlexSim, revealing how simulation can be used to validate factory layout designs and throughput, its potential in creating digital twins of production environments, and the future of factory design. Don't miss this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the transformative potential of discrete event simulation in factory design.

Industrialized construction: The goal is to accelerate the pace of delivery, increase schedule certainty, and improve the flow of work. Owners and project teams are increasingly using "pop-up" near-site prefabrication facilities to achieve these outcomes. However, the promise of industrialized construction is not achieved simply by shifting the work off-site. Entering the prefab environment presents unique challenges, notably in line layout optimization, material flow, and workload balancing. Easley and Rivers—in collaboration with ICG Consulting and powered by Autodesk FlexSim technology—learned to bring together craft expertise to mitigate these risks with tried-and-true lean manufacturing methods and industrial engineering best practices. By using discrete-event simulation, the team has not only improved the reliability of delivery to the field, but it's also significantly enhanced production standards.