A methodological approach to generate functional models and to study manufacturing systems by discrete simulation

The main aim of this thesis is the analysis and design of functional models of manufacturing systems, using different methodologies in order to get a system representation (executable model) which can be computer simulated. This work has been developed according to the following structure: (1) The applicability of models in the Theory of Systems and the use of Simulation as a technique to evaluate alternatives in the problems of design, planning and operation of manufacturing systems. (2) The formulation of methodologies for functional modeling and the comparative analysis of their different fields of application. (3) The construction of three models of manufacturing systems bases on IDEF methodologies, Petri nets and object oriented modeling. Then, the possibilities to translate and connect them all are studied, as well as the procedures to transform those functional models of manufacturing systems into executable dynamic models. (4) The study of the evolution of computer simulation techniques, their possibilities and limits and the features of commercial simulators of manufacturing systems. (5) The implementation in C++ (an object oriented language), of and executable model based on an object oriented representation using discrete-event simulation and the next-event time-advance approach. (6) The analysis of the results obtained from the simulation of three companies located in the Valencian region discussing the applicability and limitations of the methodology developed all over the thesis.