w3/sim – Simulation tool assures quality

The simulation tool w3/sim makes it possible to model and to test all processes of an automated warehouse, starting from materials handling equipment, over material flow system to warehouse management system, without having direct access to the physical conveyor technique.

w3/sim is offered by w3logistics AG as well as a stand-alone product, as also as an integrated part of the warehouse management suite w3/max. Needlessly to say that w3logistcs also uses the tool for its own development of customer projects.

A speciality of w3/sim is the possibility of simulating "foreign" software, thus the end user is not bound to a specific product.

The simulator is an indispensable aid for refactoring projects that require for example a complete exchange of the material flow system:

As a first step, the simulator is configured with the plant layout and the interface logic. Then this system is extensively tested with the old material flow system. This way ensures that the simulator exactly behaves like the existing material flow equipment.

In parallel or afterwards, the development of the new material flow system takes place.

Finally the new MFS can be tested and validated extensively with the simulator even before the actual start of operations. The training of workers can be prepared optimally.

Using the simulator, it was possible to take a new material flow and WMS for a high bay warehouse at KHS GmbH at a single weekend, since the materials handling equipment and the material flow software and the warehouse management software were comprehensively tested beforehand. Deutsches Milchkontor uses w3/sim at its plant in Erfurt after the start of operations as a testing suite for further developments.