Towards a digital factory twin: systematization of material flow simulation use cases

Inflexible production systems increasingly struggle with rising global competition. To maintain competitiveness, production systems must be designed and operated efficiently and flexible. Material flow simulation is a well-established tool to simulate workplaces, segments and entire factories in advance. Its benefits extend beyond initial planning, supporting virtual commissioning by testing IT-systems and creating transparency during operational production, forming a central basis for the digital factory twin. However, these simulation models typically require considerable expert involvement, resulting in high modelling efforts and limited reuse of existing studies. To address this issue, we present a systematic approach to collect, structure and categorize specific use cases of material flow simulation during the whole production system’s lifecycle. Our structured use case catalogue reduces redundant modelling efforts, promotes synergies between simulation studies, and facilitates clear communication among all stakeholders. Thus, our approach effectively bridges theory and practice, making simulation more accessible for production planners and decision-makers.