York University – Continuous Improvement Conference
June 2015
Dr Richard Court – Centre for REMS
Workshop Outline
 Presentation and scene setting (10 minutes)
 Demonstration of modelling technique – improvements to an
industrial system (15 minutes)
 Examples of possible applications in a University setting (5
minutes)
 Discussion & interactive session (15 minutes)
Presentation & Scene Setting
 Centre for Resource Efficient Manufacturing Systems (REMS)
 A collaboration between: CPI, IfM, Teesside University
 The REMS aim is:
 To encourage the optimization of resource use in a way that improves
manufacturing efficiency, reduces environmental impact, increases economic
value and creates social benefit. To use modelling and systems analysis of whole
supply chains to create knowledge and understanding of the way resources flow
within and are consumed in manufacturing processes.
 Title for today:
 Improving the resource efficiency of processes within universities –
lessons from industry that use representations and models of the flow
of items (e.g. materials, items, people) through processes and systems
Problem Definition
 Linear economies, “take-make-use-dispose” and their growth,
have massively contributed to developing today’s society.
 But, is it the most efficient use of resources?
 REMS research is directed at examining this resource use by
the overall system, and how to secure resources for the future.
 Is “circularisation” of resource flow more efficient?
Raw Materials
Resources
- Concepts discussed in: C. Campbell
& R. Court, Steps towards a circular
economy – what can we do?, eg
Recycle
magazine, 19 (5), 2014
- Used by APSRG Remanufacturing
report.
Landfill
Manufacturing
Remanufacture
Use
Reuse
Possible types of dynamic “flow” modelling
Image from www.anylogic.com
Modelling the “flow”?
 The technique of Discrete Event Simulation (DES), focusses on




a “process-centric” view of the situation.
Useful for scientists and engineers to model processes without
prohibitive levels of detail.
A key point is that DES is a dynamic model – changes with time
“Entities” travel through a process. Various “operations”
dictate the fate of each entity.
REMS uses DES for its balance between:
 Complexity – can be made more or less to suit situation & audience
 Reflecting reality – many aspects of life have this “flow”
 Comprehensibility – the results make sense – with hind sight
A Discrete Event Simulation (DES) software
package – one example is AnyLogic
 Why use computers and software?
 Because it is hard to perform it as a spreadsheet calculation, or to set
up a series of closed-form equations – except for very trivial examples.
 Presentation of DES models developed by the Centre for
REMS:
 An example from a real REMS case-study for industry – polymer
moulding for the automotive industry:

Complex, but gives a flavour of what can be undertaken.
 A simple worked example for this CIC workshop:


Considers polymer production, manufacture and use of a “part”
Compares the linear versus circular supply chains that can exist
Automotive – nylon supply chain
 Static pictorial model
developed by REMS
 Raw materials
through to resin and
user
 Developed a dynamic
model of these
stages
 “What if?” scenarios
possible
Automotive – nylon case study
 DES model – 4 stages - compounding, moulding, use, disposal
 Company interested in: non-oil sources of material; recycled material;
“take back” parts schemes; etc. and company’s long-term strategy
Simple DES example – linear supply chain
 Polymer production and use of a part
 Tonnes of material extracted, processed, produced, used over 5 years.
 Check the effect of:
 i) production efficiency – 50% or 90%
 ii) constraint on either production or use phase of life
Linear supply chain - Results
5000
50% or 90% - scaled
reduction in tonnes
extracted and to
landfill
 Constraint on use or
production – large
effect on amount of
material needed…
 Implications for policy
makers on unrestricted
consumption…?
Tonnes of Material
 Production efficiency –
4500
Oil processed
4000
Parts used
3500
Landfill
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Production 50% efficient - Production 90% efficient - Production 90% efficient use constraint
use constraint
production constraint
Simple DES example – circular supply chain
 Polymer production and use, re-use and recycle of a part
 Tonnes of material over 5 years.
 Check the effect of:
 i) re-use vs recycle ratio on tonnes used and extracted
 ii) other variables constant, e.g. 90% production efficiency
Re-use
Recycle
Circular supply chain - Results
 Four scenarios compared:
Scenario
Production
Efficiency (%)
Landfill (%)
Re-use (%)
Recycle (%)
Linear
90
100
0
0
Circular
90
30
60
10
Circular
90
30
40
30
Circular
90
30
10
60
Circular supply chain - Results
 Re-use – Recycle. More
recycling = fewer parts
available for use… why?
 Because production
becomes the limiting
factor.
 Implications for policy
makers on what to
measure/control, GDP
value and what is
effective…?
12000
Oil processed
10000
Tonnes of Material
 Linear – Circular. More
parts used; less oil
processed…!
Parts used
Landfill
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
Linear
Circular Re-use 60% Circular Re-use 40% Circular Re-use 10%
Recycle 10%
Recycle 30%
Recycle 60%
Applications in University Systems?
 Equipment for practical sessions.
 Materials for laboratories.
 Students progressing through modules / courses.
 Planning of events / conferences – visitor numbers and
required facilities / resources.
 Others…?
Discussion and Interaction
 Departments / Facilities / Areas that attendees work in?
 “Flows” of entities in day-to-day activities?.
 Mapping of flows and processes - sketch
 Discussion – good / bad aspects of DES technique?
Thank you
Centre for Resource Efficient Manufacturing Systems (REMS)
Dr Richard Court – r.court@tees.ac.uk
https://twitter.com/Centre4REMS/