It's not just components that are now simulated and tested in software, before any hardware is built - as Malcolm Wheatley discovers, companies are simulating entire production lines and factories as well. WHEN MANAGEMENT at Honda's Swindon car plant was planning the installation of a new engine block machining line in July 2007, the company made a conscious decision to depart from previous practice. Lee Beggan, an engineer involved in planning the line, travelled to the headquarters of Redditch-based simulation software vendor Lanner Group. There, he was trained in the operation of Lanner's 3D Witness simulation tool, which allows businesses to build 'virtual' production and supply chain processes, and then simulate their operation under various conditions.
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