Virtual Fusion: State of the Art in Component Simulation/Emulation for Manufacturing

Simulation is an indispensable part of design and analysis in a near infinite space of applications. Every day, simulation is applied to new problems as well as giving further insight into existing ones. Additionally, advancements in computing have enabled simulation to continue contributing understanding in areas where it is already a ubiquitous tool. Manufacturing in particular has benefited a great deal from simulation techniques ranging from Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for product design, to Discrete Event Simulations (DES) for process planning. In recent times emulation has emerged as an effective means of process validation. Emulation typically refers to a testing process where the controllers or control code are in their final state, while the components they control are still virtual. Virtual Fusion takes this one step further in creating a Hybrid Process Simulation (HPS), where any component of the process may be physically present or completely simulated. This paper first defines and then discusses the characteristics necessary for the component simulations needed in an HPS. It then follows with a technological survey, a literature review of existing tools, and concludes with research challenges.