KMH Systems Case Study

Background

KMH Systems is a system integration company specializing in material handling solutions for applications in manufacturing, distribution, and packaging.

Problem

A former customer of KMH Systems had a problem. A conveyor system newly installed by another vendor for transporting product from production to palletizing through a series of diverts and merges was not producing the required throughput, costing significant money on a daily basis. The customer approached KMH about fixing the problem -- fast.

Solution

KMH told their customer from the start that simulation would be required to diagnose and fix the problem. The customer resisted paying for an upfront simulation, but engaged KMH to work directly on the solution. The problem was a tricky one and KMH decided to simulate their solution anyway. KMH worked with Systemflow to test their proposed fix with a model. Systemflow developed the model in SLX and Proof Animation.

Result

The model demonstrated that throughput problems would persist with the initial revised system design. Systemflow personnel, drawing on experience from unrelated modeling projects, were able to suggest specific changes to the configuration of the replacement equipment. The KMH/Systemflow team modified the model and proved that these changes would completely remove the bottleneck. The system was quickly installed and brought online. KMH had one very happy customer, and simulation had another big win.