Fuzzy simulation in concurrent engineering

Abstract

Concurrent engineering is becoming a very important practice in manufacturing. A problem in concurrent engineering is the uncertainty associated with the values of the input variables and operating conditions. The problem discussed in this paper concerns the simulation of processes where the raw materials and the operational parameters possess fuzzy characteristics. The processing of fuzzy input information is performed by the vertex method and the commercial simulation packages POLYMATH and GEMS. The examples are presented to illustrate the usefulness of the method in the simulation of chemical engineering processes.