MODELING, SIMULATION AND OPTIMIZATION
The group’s activity includes fundamental research and industrial
applications in Modeling, Simulation and Optimization Techniques
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Improvement of simulation modeling techniques with visual languages approaches
Development of meta-constructors for automatic simulation models generation
Development of efficient heuristic techniques to solve large scale real-life problems
Development of Realistic Simulation with 3D Animation
*Modeling and Simulation are essential tools for understanding and controlling a variety of systems. In
particular, modeling and simulation can help predict the outcome of different scenarios for systems that are
affected by uncertainty, non-linearity, lack of precision, and incomplete information.
*Heuristic methods are essential tools for addressing complex optimization problems. New contributions
introducing new technical developments have been assuring the growth of successful applications.
Long term members: 3 PhD
Guilherme A. B. Pereira
[email protected]
+351253604749
José António V. Oliveira
[email protected]
+351253604763
Luís Miguel Silva Dias
[email protected]
+351253604764
Main Issues
– Automatic Generation of Simulation Models and Programs substancially reduces development time
and costs
– Simulation Modeling based on Visual Languages using Event Scheduling Philosophy or Activity Cycle
Diagrams is more transparent and enables collaborative modeling with problem owner
– Animation in Simulation (2D/3D) is usefull to understand and validate the model and also proved to be
an important approach as an industrial marketing tool
– Heuristic methods are increasingly important for solving large-scale real-life optimization problems
– Meta-heuristics can be easily adapted to solve specific new problems
– Meta-heuristics configuration allows their use with the desirable level of effectiveness and efficiency
Ongoing Research
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Integration of heuristic optimization in ERP Systems (Metallurgy Industry)
Exploratory case studies of simulation optimization (Foundry Industry, Clothes Cutting)
3D Animation for Industrial Internal Logistics (Car Audio Electronics)
Simulation as a Decision Support System in Maintenance
Development of new simulation tools
Research Directions
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Automatic generation of simulation programs
Visual Simulation Modeling based on hand drawings
Development of a solver for simulation optimization
Development of discrete event scheduling tools for automatic generation of simulation programs
Meta-heuristics development framework for large scale real-life problems
ALGORITMI, University of Minho Campus Azurém - 4800-058 Guimarães – PORTUGAL
phone: + 351 253 510180 fax: + 351 253 510188
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
MODELING, SIMULATION AND OPTIMIZATION
MSc and PhD thesis
P.Rodrigues, Programação de operações em armazéns automáticos, 2006 Adv: J.Oliveira
B. Costa, Construção de modelos de Simulação do Sistema de abastecimento das linhas de produção para pesquisa de configurações e de modos de
funcionamento mais eficientes, 2007, Adv: J. Oliveira, L. Dias (sponsored by Blaupunkt Portugal S.A)
P. Cerqueira, Construção de modelos de simulação de uma fundição para pesquisa de configurações e métodos de trabalho mais eficientes, ongoing, Adv: L.
Dias, J. Oliveira
L.S. Dias, Modelação Automática Interactiva de Simulação, Universidade do Minho. Orientadores: A J M Guimarães Rodrigues (UM) e Guilherme A B Pereira
(UM). Doutoramento concluído em Dezembro de 2005.
A.O. Paiva, mestrado em Engenharia Industrial, “Simulação do Impacto do Funcionamento de Sistemas Computacionais Embebidos na Monitorização
Remota de uma Linha de Produção de Meias”. Orientadores: Guilherme A B Pereira (UM) e Ricardo J S M Machado (UM). Mestrado concluído Jul-2005.
L.P. Ferreira, mestrado em Engenharia Industrial, ‘Geração Automática de Modelos de Simulação de uma Linha de Produção na Indústria Electrónica”.
Orientadores: Guilherme A B Pereira (UM) e Ricardo J S M Machado (UM). Mestrado concluído em 2003.
Selected Publications
J.A. Oliveira, Scheduling the truckload operations in automatic warehouses, European Journal of Operational Research, 179, 3, pp. 723-735, 2007
J.A. Oliveira, A Genetic Algorithm with a Quasi-local Search for the Job Shop Problem with Recirculation, in Applied Soft Computing Technologies: The
Challenge of Complexity, Ajith Abraham, Bernard de Baets, Mario Köppen and B. Nickolay (eds.), pp. 221-234, Springer, 2005, ISBN: 978-3-540-31649-7
J. Oliveira, M. Carvalho, J. Carvalho, Programação de operações em sistemas com tempo de processamento variável e com buffers de preparação,
Investigação Operacional, 24 (2), 2004, pp.211-231
L.P. Ferreira, G.B. Pereira, R.M. Machado, “Geração Automática de Modelos de Simulação de uma Linha de Montagem de Auto Rádios”, Investigação
Operacional, Junho de 2005, vol. 25, no.1, p.37-62. ISSN 0874-5161
L.S. Dias, G.B. Pereira, A .G.Rodrigues. “A Shortlist of the Most Popular Discrete Simulation Tools”, Simulation News Europe, Abril de 2007, vol 17, nº 1, p.
33-36, ISSN 0929-2268
B. Costa, L. Dias, J.A. Oliveira e G. Pereira, Modelos de Simulação do Sistema de Abastecimento de Linhas de Produção, VIII Congreso Galego de
Estatística e Investigación de Operacións, Santiago Compostela, Novembro 2007
J.A. Oliveira, Heurísticas para a Sequenciação de Tarefas em Máquinas
Paralelas, VIII Congreso Galego de Estatística e Investigación de Operacións,
•Partnership
Santiago Compostela, Novembro 2007
L. Dias, Plataforma de Suporte à Elaboração de Horários Escolares, VIII Congreso Galego de Estatística e Investigación de Operacións, Santiago
Compostela, Novembro 2007
P. Cerqueira, L. Dias e J.A. Oliveira, Programação de Fusões numa Fundição, VIII Congreso Galego de Estatística e Investigación de Operacións, Santiago
Compostela, Novembro 2007
S. Cunha, P. Miranda e JA. Oliveira, Análise da Metodologia de Simulação em Projectos de Transporte de Paletes por AGVs, VIII Congreso Galego de
Estatística e Investigación de Operacións, Santiago Compostela, Novembro 2007
L.S. Dias, G.B. Pereira, A .G.Rodrigues. “A Shortlist of the Most ‘Popular’ Discrete Simulation Tools”, ASIM 2006 - 19th Symposium on Simulation Technique.
SCS Publishing House. Ed. M. Becker and H. Szczerbicka. Hanover, Alemanha. pp. 159-163. 12-14 de Setembro de 2006
L.S. Dias, G.B. Pereira, A .G.Rodrigues. “Activity based modelling with automatic prototype generation of process based arena models”, EMSS 2006 - 2nd
European Modeling and Simulation Symposium. Barcelona, Espanha. 6 páginas. 4-6 Outubro de 2006. ISBN 84-690-0726-2
A. Vitorino, M. Macedo, R. Silva, J.A. Oliveira, Neighborhoods for Graph Coloring Problem, I Congresso de Estatística e Investigação Operacional da Galiza e
Norte de Portugal, VII Congreso Galego de Estatística e Investigación de Operacións, Guimarães, Outubro de 2005
J.A. Oliveira, Pesquisa de Vizinhança Variável para o “Serial Batching Problem”, I Congresso de Estatística e Investigação Operacional da Galiza e Norte de
Portugal, VII Congreso Galego de Estatística e Investigación de Operacións, Guimarães, Outubro de 2005
L.P. Ferreira, G.B. Pereira, R.M. Machado, “A Simulação como Ferramenta de Apoio à Decisão na Engenharia da Produção – O Sistema GAMS”, Actas do VI
Congreso Galego de Estatística e Investigación de Operacións,Vigo, Espanha, 2005. pp 239-244
L.S. Dias, A.G. Rodrigues, G.B. Pereira, An Activity Oriented Visual Modelling Language with Automatic Translation to Different Paradigms, 19th European
Conference On Modelling And Simulation (ECMS 2005), Riga, Letónia. Ed. Yury Mercuryev et al. Junho de 2005. pp. 452-46. ISBN 1-84233-115-9
P. Rodrigues, J.A. Oliveira, Scheduling Operations in batches to Minimize the Single Machine Total Weighted Tardiness, I Congresso de Estatística e
Investigação Operacional da Galiza e Norte de Portugal, VII Congreso Galego de Estatística e Investigación de Operacións, Guimarães, Outubro de 2005
J.A. Oliveira, P. Rodrigues, Scheduling Operations to Minimize the Total Weighted Tardiness in an Automated Warehouse System, International Manufacturing
Conference (IMC21) in Limerick from September 1st to September 3rd 2004.
Industrial Ongoing Links
Some develloped tools
Sector
Project
Started
Electronics
MSc
2007
FAL SA
Metallurgy
MSc
2006
GlobalCorte SA
Textile
I&D
2006
António Almeida e Filhos, Lda
Textile
I&D
2006
CESPA Resin
Reverse Logistics
I&D
2005
Torrestir
Transports
I&D
2005
InoxOne
Metallurgy
I&D
2007
EDITOR
.
Door
Free
The pictures below, are related to implemented simulation tools (computer program
applications): (1) ACD (Activity Cycle Diagram); (2) Screenshot from
GRAPHEDITOR – Vectorial Generic Graphical Editor implemented in Java to edit
ACDs [2003-2005]; (3) Screenshot from VISIOACD – Stencil created in MS-VISIO
to edit and animate ACDs [2005]; (4) Context diagram inter-relating several tools to
manage ACD simulation approach [2005]; (5) Screenshot from VISIOBSF – Tool
created to generate simulation programs based on Discrete Event Schedduling
Paradigm [2006-2007].
EDITOR
Enterprise
Blaupunkt SA
Arrive
Customers
Outside
[Duration = Expo(3)]
MS VISIO
VISIO-ACD
[VISIO-VBA]
ACDs 'Stencil' + VISIOVBA application to import
& export ACD's
MS VISIO
ANIM VISIO
[VISIO-VBA]
Implementing one
Activity based
executive, to simulate
ACDs (with animation).
GRAPHEDITOR
[Java]
ANIM Java
[Java]
Generic Attribute based
Graphical Editor, with a
template to edit ACDs
Animation of ACDs
inside the
GRAPHEDITOR.
Anim
ation
Statistical
Report
Anim
ation
ACD.xml
Activity Based Model
Queue for
Balcony
(Text file representing
an ACD in XML format)
ACD
Grammar
(to BSF)
SMAIS-GAP
[Java]
Balcony service
Inactive
Workers
(Automatic Simulation
Programs Generator)
entity_customer: caixa=
Unif(0,1)
[Duration = Poisson(4)]
caixa < 0.5
Money withdraw
Queue for
withdraw
BSF
(java
simulation
library)
[Duration = Poisson(2)]
caixa >= 0.5
Statistical
Report
Generated java
program
Compilation
[javac]
with Java compiler
ACD
Grammar
(to Arena)
SMAIS-GAP
[Java]
Translator to ARENA
Arena input
file
ARENA-ACD
[ARENA
Professional]
Template with
ACD blocks
ARENA-CREATOR
[Arena-VBA]
Model builder
Executable
simulation program.
Event Based
Executive
Model/Program
ready to run in
ARENA (Process
Based Executive)
Run
[java]
ARENA
Anima
tion
Statistical
Report
ALGORITMI, University of Minho Campus Azurém - 4800-058 Guimarães – PORTUGAL
phone: + 351 253 510180 fax: + 351 253 510188
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]