Skip to content
SimTool.com

Simulation news, articles & best practices

SimTool — browse simulation tools by category

Manufacturing & Supply-Chain

Production-line layout, assembly systems, inventory/warehouse flows

26 articles

News

Moldex3D 2026: Hot Runner Speed Gains, AI-Driven Defect Prediction, and Advanced IC Packaging Simulation

CoreTech System has released Moldex3D 2026, delivering a 4x or greater speed improvement for multi-cavity hot runner analysis, a fully upgraded crystallization solver using the Dual Nakamura Model, and new Hybrid Zone and EBG technologies that cut semiconductor packaging simulation times by up to 15x. The release also deepens AI integration through the iSLM Discovery series, AI Chat diagnostics, and an expanded Moldibot with 'Deep Thinking' capabilities.

By Jeff 65 views
News

Siemens Simcenter Summer 2026: PhysicsAI Generate, Unified Altair Portfolio, and Meshless Structural Simulation

Siemens has released its Summer 2026 Simcenter update, unifying Siemens and Altair simulation technologies for the first time while introducing Simcenter PhysicsAI Generate — a physics-aware generative AI engine — and expanding geometric deep learning across STAR-CCM+, Inspire, and HyperMesh. The release also integrates Simcenter Simsolid with Designcenter for meshless structural analysis and strengthens multiphysics workflows for electric powertrain development.

By Jeff 491 views
Article

WITNESS Horizon: Discrete-Event Simulation for Lean Manufacturing Line Balancing

WITNESS Horizon by Lanner Group enables engineers to build high-fidelity discrete-event simulation models of manufacturing lines, capturing stochastic variability in cycle times, machine failures, and operator behavior. This article demonstrates how to use WITNESS Horizon's Experimenter module and utilization heat maps to identify true bottlenecks and optimize line balance.

By Jeff 108 views
News

Visual Components 5.1: 10x Faster AMR Simulation, PhysX 5.5 Physics, and Allen-Bradley PLC Connectivity

Visual Components 5.1 delivers a complete rebuild of its mobile robot navigation stack, enabling hundreds of AMRs and AGVs to run simultaneously with up to 10x faster performance. The release also upgrades the physics engine to PhysX 5.5 for more reliable material flow simulation and adds Allen-Bradley PLC connectivity alongside new virtual commissioning plugins for Nachi and Epson robots.

By Jeff 238 views
News

SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2026: Fill Thin Slot, Angular Displacement Plots, and Pin Connector Force Extraction

SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2026 delivers targeted enhancements across structural, thermal, vibration, and plastics analysis workflows. Key additions include the Fill Thin Slot feature for accurate heat transfer modeling in compact assemblies, angular displacement plotting in degrees or radians, pin connector force extraction in random vibration studies, and a 30% speed boost for injection molding simulations.

By Jeff 160 views
Article

FlexSim's Input Analyzer: Fitting Statistical Distributions to Real-World Manufacturing Data

FlexSim's Input Analyzer provides a rigorous, integrated workflow for fitting theoretical statistical distributions—lognormal, Weibull, gamma, and more—to empirical shop-floor data, replacing guesswork with statistically defensible process-time parameters. This article walks through data collection, automated distribution fitting, goodness-of-fit interpretation, and practical application to process times and failure modeling in manufacturing simulation models.

By Jeff 254 views
Article

FlexSim's Input Analyzer: Fitting Statistical Distributions to Real-World Manufacturing Data

FlexSim's Input Analyzer provides a rigorous, integrated workflow for fitting theoretical statistical distributions—lognormal, Weibull, gamma, and more—to empirical shop-floor data, replacing guesswork with statistically defensible process-time parameters. This article walks through data collection, automated distribution fitting, goodness-of-fit interpretation, and practical application to process times and failure modeling in manufacturing simulation models.

By Jeff 192 views
News

SimScale Launches Engineering AI Agents and Open Workflows Platform for Autonomous Simulation Orchestration

SimScale has opened its Engineering AI agents to all enterprise teams and launched SimScale Workflows, an open platform architecture enabling any solver or custom method to be integrated natively. Together, these releases enable fully autonomous, end-to-end simulation pipelines where AI agents manage the entire engineering process — from CAD preparation to validated reporting — without human handoffs.

By Jeff 1273 views
Article

Lean Waste Identification with Siemens Tecnomatix Plant Simulation: Value Stream Mapping and Muda Analysis

Siemens Tecnomatix Plant Simulation transforms static value stream mapping into a stochastic, dynamic analysis environment, enabling manufacturing engineers to quantify all seven lean wastes under realistic process variability. This article walks through model construction, waste measurement techniques, and the Experiment Manager workflow for comparing lean improvement scenarios—buffer right-sizing, workstation rebalancing, and kanban pull—before any physical changes are made.

By Jeff 216 views
Article

Inventory Policy Optimization in AnyLogic: Simulating (s, S) and (r, Q) Replenishment Strategies

AnyLogic's multi-method simulation environment enables supply chain engineers to rigorously compare and tune (s, S) and (r, Q) inventory replenishment policies using stochastic demand models and built-in optimization. This article walks through model construction, experiment design, and result interpretation to help practitioners move beyond static EOQ formulas toward data-driven inventory decisions.

By Jeff 251 views
News

Siemens Unveils Digital Twin Composer: Building the Industrial Metaverse at Scale

Siemens has launched Digital Twin Composer, a revolutionary platform that enables organizations to build Industrial Metaverse environments at enterprise scale. Built on NVIDIA Omniverse libraries, the software combines real-time data, AI-powered simulation, and photorealistic visualization to transform how companies design, optimize, and operate complex industrial systems.

By Jeff 346 views
News

SimScale and PTC Partner to Democratize Cloud Simulation for Startups

SimScale and PTC announce strategic collaboration providing Onshape Start-Up Program members with three months of free access to professional cloud-native simulation capabilities, breaking down traditional barriers to advanced CAE tools for emerging businesses.

By Jeff 310 views